Students have taken to the streets in New Delhi, calling for Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi to resign over a series of sexual assaults against women and girls.
The protests have grown after several rape cases were reported in the capital, with young women demanding stronger security measures and government accountability.
The protests gained momentum after a 17-year-old girl was gang-raped by three men posing as police officers while she walked through Astha Kunj Park in south-east Delhi.
The incident came weeks after police found the decomposed body of a 16-year-old girl who had been gang-raped, stabbed to death and dumped in a field where dogs had partly eaten her body.
Police also reported the rape of a six-year-old girl and an 11-year-old girl in September. In another case, a 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a bus driver and conductor who offered her a lift during heavy rain.
The cases have fuelled anger among young protesters, who say sexual violence and harassment have become a regular part of women’s lives in India.
Activists have also raised concerns about incidents on university campuses, including allegations of men sexually harassing women.
“The situation in India is a pandemic for women,” 20-year-old University of Delhi philosophy student Harshita Sharma told an international media outlet. “Narendra Modi should resign. He is holding his silence on all the cases that women are facing.”
Protesters are demanding increased police patrols, better CCTV coverage and improved lighting on university campuses. They are also preparing a charter of demands for the government.
Police have arrested some protesters during the demonstrations as the movement has spread across the capital. The protests have also produced a string of rhyming slogans that have spread on social media, including Instagram Reels.
“Ek Kachori, Do Samosa, Inn Mardon Ka Kya Bharosa?” “Ek Aloo, Do Pyaaz, Bhaad Mein Jaye Mard Samaj.”
“Aloo Lo, Puri Lo, Inn Mardo Se Duri Lo.” “Paani Ka Rang Neela, Inn Mardon Ka Character Dheela.”
Alongside the chants, protesters have also raised familiar demands for “azaadi”, justice and accountability.
The demonstrations have drawn comparisons with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests that led to the resignation of India’s education minister Dharmendra Pradhan in July.
The CJP, a youth-led movement focused on education reform, had organised weeks of student demonstrations before Pradhan stepped down after referring to unemployed young people as “cockroaches”.
Adrija Dey, an academic specialising in gender-based violence in higher education at the University of Westminster, said that the earlier protests had demonstrated the impact of youth mobilisation.
“The recent CJP protests have shown the power of youth mobilisation. It’s not surprising that students are organising across India in a similar way as a result of this latest failure,” she said.
The current protesters have said their campaign is not only about individual cases but also about wider concerns over women’s safety and the government’s response to sexual violence.
They have vowed to continue their campaign and push for Modi to step down.
