Those who have taken to the streets to shake their government out of its shameful slumber might have some idea about the slim chances of their efforts paying off. After all, they had done all this and even more when over a decade ago, India woke up to the news of a heart-wrenching rape of a young woman by six men inside a bus in South Delhi.
\nThe resulting outpouring of grief and outrage did move the needle on the paper as the government was forced to reconsider the language surrounding crimes against women. However, today, as the country\u2019s hospitals and clinics are turning away patients because medical professionals are not ready to let the gruesome murder of a 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata slide by, one is forced to wonder whether the historic Nirbhaya case actually changed the writing on the wall.
\nThe unbelievably disfigured body leaves no room for any defensive speculations as a petition by her family makes note of severe pelvic fractures, chilling eye, neck and face injuries on top of signs of multiple penetrations. While the police authorities are more overwhelmed by debunking details on social media to focus on the ongoing investigation, the fact that she was grievously sexually assaulted when she had walked into a seminar room of a government hospital to rest after a 36-hour shift is enough to send shockwaves across any sovereign nation.
\nCandlelight rallies, scathing placards and a unanimous decision by the medical staff bodies to launch a nationwide strike demanded why the relevant authorities did not pay due attention to the safety of the doctors working under their watch. From no functioning CCTV cameras, ill-lit corridors and absence of basic amenities, the said hospital is rife with loopholes that make women increasingly vulnerable to violence. And while the media might appear fixated on the shortcomings of a single hospital, there\u2019s ample evidence to suggest how India continues to fail its women.
\nInstead of continuing with its hollow lip service, the state would have to take concrete steps to prevent rape by ensuring accountability for the culprits. Simply talking about bringing changes has not yet perpetuated any fear of punishment in those who continue to commit these crimes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Those who have taken to the streets to shake their government out of its shameful slumber might have some idea about the slim chances of their efforts paying off. After all, they had done all this and even more when over a decade ago, India woke up to the news of a heart-wrenching rape of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-425697","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorial"},"yoast_head":"\n