JOIN USAround 2,000 students of Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College took to the streets recently and protested against the rape of a six-year-old and to sensitise the public on violence against women.
The students decided to wear black to protest against these atrocities.They shouted out slogans like Ek, do, teen, char, band karo ye atyachar! and ‘Don’t tell us what to wear, teach men not to stare!’ demanding justice for all women and thereby, spreading awareness by enhancing responsibility among the public.
“Our college has always stood for the empowerment of women and equal rights. As a women’s institution, we strongly feel that such crimes against women and children should be nipped in the bud. The perpetrators of such crimes should be severely dealt with. The government has to act upon taking measures to stop such heinous crimes immediately and make our country a safe place,” said Shantha Solomon, principal-in-charge of Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College.
Monisha D and Nissi Thapa, the president and vice-president of the college, respectively, said, “Today’s protest was an outcome of our feelings towards what is happening in our country. The crime rate against women is increasing rapidly and no action is being taken against the guilty. Justice delayed is justice denied. Thus justice needs to be delivered immediately. A very strict and harsh rule must be enforced against the guilty in order to stop all this violence against women. We don’t feel safe to walk out of the house and our families constantly keep calling us up as they are so concerned about our safety. So in order for us to feel safe and gain the respect of society and not have people point their fingers at us, this needs to stop.”
They added, “We are not here just to sit around and watch such activities take place before our very eyes, we are here to take a stand. The blindfolds worn by the student council was a symbolic gesture which means that the law is supposed to be impartial and unbiased. In the society, rape survivors and rape victims are mocked at and looked down upon. The change must start from the mind and from the law; these two things are most important in order to make the impact of this protest long lasting.”
Mercy Grace, a final-year BA student, said, “Laws have been made but they have to be implemented immediately. A radical change has to be brought about in our society and justice must not be delayed any longer.”