As my colleague Sruthi Gottipati reports, thousands of protesters marched on Monday in New Delhi, pledging to “take back the night,†as India remained in mourning for the 23-year-old victim of a gang rape who died on Saturday.
Thousands marching for gender justice on New Years eve. Many holding candles. #DelhiRape
“The whole night is ours†protesters chant pouring out of JNU campus. “Reclaim Karo!â€
Monday night's march in the capital was just the latest in a series of protests across India in recent days.
The Indian news channel IBN Live reported that New Year's Eve celebrations were scaled back or canceled in many parts of the country, replaced with protests, candlelight vigils and marches expressing widespread outrage at the failure to hold rapists accountable.
The death of the gang-rape victim came just days after an 18-year-old woman in Punjab State committed suicide by drinking poison after being raped by two men and then humiliated by male police officers. In the wake of the tragedies, Indian women, long accustomed to “regular harassment and assault during the day and are fearful of leaving their homes alone after dark,†poured into the streets to demand protection from the mainly male police force.
Pics:Women from Northeast #India came together in solidarity at #JantarManta r at recent #DelhiProtests http://t.co/qUb2e15k
Another Indian broadcaster, NDTV, also focused its coverage on the debate over sexual violence in the country on Monday, with a panel discussion of possible actions the government could take to address the crisis and an overview of the protests in recent days.
