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Indian PM Appeals for Calm After Gang Rape Protests Turn Violent

Indian women demonstrating against the brutal gang-rape of a woman on a moving bus scuffle with police as they try to approach the residence of Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in New Delhi, India, Dec. 24, 2012.
Indian women demonstrating against the brutal gang-rape of a woman on a moving bus scuffle with police as they try to approach the residence of Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in New Delhi, India, Dec. 24, 2012.

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Anjana Pasricha

December 24, 2012

NEW DELHI — India's Prime Minister has appealed for calm following days of violent protests over the gang rape of a young woman in the Indian capital.

In a televised address Monday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he shared people’s genuine anger and anguish. However, he said violence will serve no purpose. 

Singh was referring to clashes that took place between protestors and police in the Indian capital Saturday and Sunday.
 
“I appeal to all concerned citizens to maintain peace and calm. I assure you that we will make all possible efforts to ensure safety and security of women in this country," he promised, "we will examine without delay not only responses to this terrible crime, but all aspects concerning safety of women and children and punishment to those who commit these monstrous crimes.”

  • An Indian protester shouts slogans as he is stopped by police during a protest against a recent gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in New Delhi, India, December 27, 2012.
  • Indians protesting the recent gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in New Delhi, display a poster calling for death penalty for offenders at a rally in Kolkata, December 27, 2012.
  • Police stand near barricades as they prepare to stop protesters on their way to India Gate while demonstrating against the gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in New Delhi, India, December 27, 2012.
  • People participate in a candle light vigil for the recovery of the young victim of the recent brutal gang-rape in a bus in New Delhi, India, December 26, 2012.
  • A woman is removed by Indian police while protesting against the brutal gang-rape of a woman on a moving bus in New Delhi, India, December 25, 2012.
  • Police and relatives carry the body of Subhash Tomar, a police man, during his funeral in New Delhi, December 25, 2012. Tomar died after he was injured during a protest over a gang rape in New Delhi.
  • Members of the All India Democratic Students Organization (DSO) hold placards and shout slogans condemning the brutal gang rape of a woman on a moving bus in New Delhi during a protest in Ahmadabad, India, December 24, 2012.
  • Indian police use water cannons to push back protesters during a demonstration near the India Gate against the gang rape and brutal beating of a 23-year-old student on a bus last week, in New Delhi, India, December 23, 2012.
  • An Indian man overwhelmed by tear gas lies on the ground during a protest in New Delhi, India, December 23, 2012.
  • A demonstrator holds a placard in front of India Gate as she takes part in a protest rally organized by various women's organisations in New Delhi, India, December 21, 2012.
  • People participate in a candlelight vigil for the fast recovery of a young woman as she fights for her life at a hospital after being brutally raped and tortured, in New Delhi, India, December 21, 2012.
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The nearly hour-long rape and beating with iron rods of the 23-year-old female student by a group of men in a moving bus last week has sparked outrage against authorities and police in a city already considered the most unsafe for women. The victim remains hospitalized in critical condition.
 
The protestors - mostly students and ordinary people - want speedy justice handed out to the six men who have been arrested in connection with the gang rape. There have been calls for the death penalty. People want better security for women. They are angry that nearly one third of the city's police force is deployed for duty for ministers and senior government officials, reducing those available for actually policing the city.
    
The protests were smaller and sporadic on Monday, as the police turned the city into a virtual fortress to prevent violent demonstrations during a day-long visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Several metro stations were shut down to prevent people from reaching the heart of the capital - where the earlier protests sparked pitched battles with police, who used tear gas, sticks and water cannons to disperse the crowds. More than 60 protesters and policemen were injured.

An Indian woman, right, part of a group demonstrating against the brutal gang-rape of a woman on a moving bus, argues with police officers after they were prevented from protesting in New Delhi, India, Dec. 24, 2012.An Indian woman, right, part of a group demonstrating against the brutal gang-rape of a woman on a moving bus, argues with police officers after they were prevented from protesting in New Delhi, India, Dec. 24, 2012.
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An Indian woman, right, part of a group demonstrating against the brutal gang-rape of a woman on a moving bus, argues with police officers after they were prevented from protesting in New Delhi, India, Dec. 24, 2012.
An Indian woman, right, part of a group demonstrating against the brutal gang-rape of a woman on a moving bus, argues with police officers after they were prevented from protesting in New Delhi, India, Dec. 24, 2012.
Authorities have promised better policing, with more night patrols. They have also promised to fast-track the trial of those arrested for gang rape in a country where a slow-moving justice system means that trials often drag on for years.
 
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the government will consider handing out stiffer penalties for crimes against women. 

“It has been decided to constitute a committee to look into possible amendments so as to provide for speedier justice and enhanced punishment in cases of aggravated sexual assault,” Shinde announced.

But public anger is still running high and authorities will have to do more to assuage a city where, according to police figures, a rape is reported on an average every 18 hours.

Last week, Indian Home Secretary R.K. Singh announced a series of measures to prevent such violence.  He said bus drivers' licenses will be thoroughly checked, tinted or otherwise covered bus windows will be banned, and plainclothes police officers will be deployed on buses.  Authorities will also crack down on drunk driving and those who drink and loiter in New Delhi.

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by: Angela Smith from: Sherman Oaks, CA
January 13, 2013 12:49 AM
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Our society has been dealing on how to suppress the sex offenders doings. This will definitely help the community. However we can never be too sure about everything, somehow we have to take some actions to defend ourselves yes, we could protest becuase sometimes justice could never be fair to some situations. We could fight and stand for our right but we could never risk our safety. Our family has been using a security system that will help us protect our selves from any forms of crime, sex offenders and provides help when we need it. This is suitable to be used by the whole family as everyone can benefit it. This is a protection that you can take on your own hand. We don't always have to rely on the system. Sometimes we have to take action. Try to check safetrec this may help a lot.

by: Vasanta from: Dubai
December 27, 2012 4:43 AM
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With all due respect to humanity and its supporters:

When a part of the body becomes gangrenous, conservative treatment does not help anymore. It becomes essential to amputate that part so that the ACTUAL person can continue to live. Losing a part of the body is painful, terrible to get used to, but it saved your life. There are diseases that get cured by medicines, there are cancers when removing the cancerous cells is enough, and sometimes removing the organ or part of body is essential. Similarly, people are not demanding for capital punishment, castration, or phallectomy out of fun or for emotional reasons. They placed their trust in the system for long even while suffering through it. Conservative methods are not helping. Even while the protests are going in Delhi, more and more rapes took place, some of them were gang rapes AGAIN!!!

The victims were someone's children too! Half of the victims are children actually!! Will someone please wake up to this ugly reality?

Society and its rules were formed over ages based on what works and what does not, and what should be avoided or should be done for it to work. When someone breaks these rules, we turn towards the legal system we created to take care of it. Just like updation of technology, updation of law, criminal law in particular, should be done. Law penalizes the offenders, and the rapists should be penalized with destruction of their manhood.

When one uses sex for violence and torture instead of love and procreation, he should be denied the use of it completely. Period.

by: Rev Chandananda from: Canada
December 25, 2012 11:04 PM
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Both rapists and protesters are in the same boat of EMOTIONAL REACTIVITY. When are we going to earn EMOTIONAL FREEDOM? More than killing rapists, try to help cure their psychological sickness. They too are sons of another woman. What this world needs is love, care and compassion.

by: Vasanta
December 25, 2012 12:48 AM
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It is unfortunate that the capital of India does not have enough of public transport. If there were enough of public transport buses in Delhi, the mishap that took place in a private bus would not have happened (its a calculated hope in the least!!). The lack of enough policing and poor infrastructure create ample opportunities for rapists. How would checking for driver licenses periodically help in curbing rape count? Was the driver in this rape case not a licensed one?

Talking about tinted glass and curtains, rape was taking place on the bus floor, could anyone see it through the windows while standing on the road?

There is no fear of punishment among rapists. Statistics show that only 26% of the rape cases in 2010 got conviction and the punishment was jail time only. So those who were acquitted on legal grounds and those who will be released after jail time can still go around raping women, because you are guilty only if it can be proven.

FEAR! - fear of losing manhood is what that will set these people on track. Not castration alone, but phallectomy - Once proven to have committed this crime, a second chance to repeat it should not be given. Punish a few rapists involved in these atrocious rape cases (including child rapes) and I am sure the number of rapes will dip.

Do not buy time on the name of forming committees, researching and deciding what to be done. Oh Govt of India, people of India are telling you what to do, just listen to them for once!!!!!!!!

by: SRP from: US
December 24, 2012 8:03 PM
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Don't expect anything from that puppet sardar. You must be lucky he at least opened his mouth to say something (of course he could have done better by at least lying that he will look into the matter and punish guilty and bring in strict laws), don't expect anything more.

by: Jonathan Huang from: canada
December 24, 2012 1:39 PM
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sorry, seems the Rights Group against death penalty, and 111 countries just vow to remove death penalty.
May be we should think again, to these rapists and the US campus gun shooting murderers, what else punishment would be more proper?
Democracy is a joke!

by: mehran from: india
December 24, 2012 11:10 AM
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this is an event that government should research main reason I think India is moving to globalization and this way is danger for traditional societies like India the governor should arrange this situation and has responsible

by: Rev Chandananda from: Canada
December 24, 2012 10:28 AM
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Violence is never appeased by violence itself it is only appeased by love and compassion. Whole life-philosophy of society which promotes arrogance and violence in many forms should be changed. Just punishment for these culprits is not enough.

by: nathan hand from: independence mo
December 24, 2012 8:55 AM
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Indina will set a supernatural influence around the world should they decide to excuite these rapeist immeadiately after a court hearing and found guility . Rapeist , murderest and kidnapper will think twice before deciding to carrie out such a crime

In Response
by: AgentGG from: Austin, TX USA
December 24, 2012 11:44 PM
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Please inform yourself better before posting such blather. The death penalty has been proven to not be a deterrent to crime, of any sort. The fallacy you are making is attributing criminals with a rational ability to judge the consequences of their actions, which does not occur during crimes. Rational people do not engage in sexual abuse, so rational penalties will not stop them.

You have to look much deeper at the lakhs of young men who have no chance to ever marry or even have a lasting relationship with a female. You have to look at 940 females to 1000 males born and realize that this is a self-destructive path for any society, and that the treatment of women in public is a symptom of that. And you have to look at traditional patriarchy in India and how it has always robbed women of their civil rights. It's a big issue.

In Response
by: .. from: usa
December 24, 2012 3:22 PM
Report Comment
Will you please pick up a dictionary and learn how to spell some of these words that you're butchering?

In Response
by: Mao from: Patna
December 24, 2012 1:25 PM
Report Comment
How about including dishonest poiticians in the list. They have been raping Mother India all these years!

by: Honestly from: NYC
December 24, 2012 8:44 AM
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Arrest as many as you can and then let woman perform public castration of these cowards , film at 11

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