The people have been protesting against the Delhi Gang Rape and the brutal attack on the young girl since the last two weeks demanding the government to take immediate action and ensure safety for women. Despite maximum efforts, the girl could not be saved and she passed away on 30th December putting the entire country in grief and sorrow.

The method in which the protesters who were mostly students and young men and women peacefully demonstrating their anguish and anger was dealt with by the Central government and the Delhi police, was to say the least, insensitive and autocratic. The thousands who gathered at India Gate and before the Rashtrapathi Bhawan were lathi-charged, attacked with tear-gas and water cannon and many were arrested and beaten in the police station. Later, India Gate and nearby places were cordoned off, and nobody was allowed to reach there. 10 Metro stations in the city were closed harassing the people who wanted to come to the city. Railway Stations were also closed. Thousands of police, para-military forces and commandos were employed against the peaceful demonstrators.

The central government in a panic modem shifted the victim from the ICU of Safdarjung Hospital to a hospital in Singapore without consulting the family or the hospital doctors who were treating her day and night. Further instead of taking the doctors at the hospital where she was treated the government engaged doctors from a private hospital to accompany the victim patient. And after her death the body was secretly brought bck and created in a hush with out even allowing the neibhours at the creamation ground.

Even after the death, the prohition continued. Protesters are allowed in Jantar Mantar only. Restrictions continues in many ways.

What all these indicate? Whether it is the Central Government, the state government or the police authorities, they are moving away from the democratic to autocratic methods. They want to suffocate the popular protests. They want to suprreess the peaceful movement. Yes, there is a shade of the anti-people and dictactorial ’emergency’ in all these actions.

Let us be aware of this ‘shade of emergency’. The government should not be allowed to trample upon the democratic rights of the peole to protest against the inaction and wrong action of the government. The government should be made to understand that there will be severe reaction to these dictatorial methods from the people.