In the decade since data has recorded a rise in numbers not just of rape but also of all crimes against women.
Ten years ago, we claimed ownership of the 23-year-old as “India’s daughter”, bestowing on her an unasked-for martyrdom by calling her Nirbhaya. (File Photo)
We were so angry then but so full of hope. Ten years ago, the gruesome gang rape of a 23-year-old student in Delhi on December 16 brought tens of thousands of people to the streets, undeterred by tear gas, water cannons, and the winter chill. The world’s attention. Anger in Parliament. A judicial commission. The legal definition of rape expanded. Death sentence. Fast-track courts. Rape, violence, and gender on prime-time TV. “A tipping point for change,” I wrote.