Uncouth crowd doesn't leave family in peace

 After the cremation of the gang rape victim, family members returned home to put together the broken pieces. But the taunt from other residents and people who have gathered there have made it difficult for the family to mourn their loss.

Their only hope died after 13 days of fighting with death, but insensitive people living in nearby areas — instead of giving strength and support — gathered outside the house, laughing and gossiping about the plight of the victim.

When they returned from the cremation, the family members had to lock their house as hundreds of people, comprising homemakers, students and men gathered outside the house and on the colony’s main road.

Police presence in the colony prevented them from indulging in hooliganism in the area.
Some girls, however, expressed solidarity and took out a protest march carrying placards and shouting slogans. But their demands were different unlike the ones at Jantar Mantar.

Some of the placards read: Why to be afraid and ashamed, come and report your complaints. Another placard read: No need to be afraid of drunk men, fight for your right.

‘Watch and mock’

The girls raised slogans against domestic violence and demanded justice for the victim. “Here people have come to watch and mock, but they do not understand the pain one goes through,” said class 10 student Neeta Kumari.

But for many youth, some men and homemakers, it was a matter of gossip and they seemed to have gathered at the house for some mela or function. 

Mela chal rahan hai?

One of the victim’s relative pleaded before the crowd, “Bhai yahan se jaiye. Mein haat jhor rahan hun. Aap kyun nahin samaajh rahe hai yehan koi mela nahi laga hai (please go away brothers. Why don’t you understand? There is no carnival here).

The crowd listened, but did not move an inch. They kept gossiping and whenever someone came to pay solidarity, they heckled the person just to listen what he or she is going to say.

Brightest girl in colony

“She was the brightest girl in our locality. And these people will not understand what the family is going through. They have made it more difficult for the family to bear the loss,” said the victim’s neighbour, a 35-year-old woman.

A shopkeeper just a few metres away from the victim’s house said the crowd is standing there since morning. “They have nothing to do in their lives, and have enough free time to sit and chat,” said Ramesh, who runs a grocery shop.

He said only a few Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and Congress Member of Parliament Mahabal Mishra came.

The situation outside the unauthorised colony was bad. Hundreds of onlookers gathered on the pavement to watch the policemen doing their duty.

A few of them hooted at police and some blocked traffic. Some 100 people also gathered at Dabri police station in protest against police and the government.