United in working towards a safer, healthier India

Many things have happened in the past few days that have made us feel a range of emotion - sorrow, anger, frustration, compassion, and hopelessness. The entire country went into mourning when the plight of the young girl, often referred to as "Damini", came to light. We felt for the girl and her family and the entire country united in demanding justice and severe punishment for the guilty. In one single day, "rape" became a household term instead of something that we pretended doesn't exist. 

India Gate, a symbol of bravery and courage, was the chosen spot for the protests.

The protesters demanded the ultimate punishment for the accused. Delhi police did their part by sniffing out the accused and arresting them. Media as well played their part responsibly.

 And then on Sunday, 23 December, something happened that brought us all to shame again. There was a clash between some of the protesters and the police which escalated and eventually the entire peaceful protest turned into something ugly. The unity disintegrated and suddenly the police and the protesters were seen as two opposing forces instead of a single solid unit fighting against crime.

While all of this was going on, the gang-rape victim continued to battle for her life. However, our country faced yet another loss in the form of the Delhi Police constable Subhash Sharma.

Many questions are being raised regarding the cause of his death. No one know how it happened exactly. Investigations will reveal the truth but a life that has been lost, has been lost forever.

We should all stand united in grief for the constable's death just like we all are for the traumatised girl.

Instead of being afraid of the police, all law-abiding citizens should be able to join forces with the police to fight crime. But for such as system to evolve, both sides need to be able to trust each other. Delhi Police have taken one step in this direction by stepping into social media and issuing an apology through twitter. It is a welcome step but we need to do much more. If our goal is clear in our heads, all of our steps will automatically be in the right direction. 

Photographs by - Vipul Vaibhav

Write-Up by - Vibha Malhotra