“Hundreds of people come and ask me how I have moved on after her death. I haven’t; my life ended after losing her,” says mother of the 23-year-old paramedic student who was gang-raped and brutalised on a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012.
The parents of the braveheart, who fought for her life for over 10 days, are still awaiting justice. Disillusioned with their long quest for justice, they believe rapists are, in fact, getting bolder by the day. The recent case of the Uber cab driver threatening his victim with a “December 16-like assault” both shocked and angered them.
“The reason why the Uber driver was able to threaten a woman with a December 16-like assault was because the accused in the case have not been punished so far. Had they been punished no one would have dared to threaten a woman like that. Rapists think if nothing has happened to those who raped and killed my daughter, they will also get away with rape,” said the victim’s father, Badri Nath Singh. “If justice is not served in a big case like this, how can people expect justice in any other case?”
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Mother Asha Devi, who now actively looks after the affairs of the Nirbhaya Jyoti Trust, an NGO named after her daughter, believes that things will change only when boys are taught to respect women.
“We should teach boys to respect women. We should tell them that all women are like their mothers and sisters, and should be respected. This should be taught to them from a young age, both in schools and at home,” she added.
“Those who do not respect women should be humiliated in public. I was very happy when the face of the Uber cab rape accused was shown by the media. People got to know that he is a rapist and a disgusting man. He will never be able to live a life of respect even after coming out from jail. This should happen to all men who disrespect women,” she added.
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“Like all parents, I too would have been making plans to get my daughter married if she were with me today. Unfortunately, I am preparing for a pooja on her second death anniversary,” the mother said, sitting in a room full of mementos given to her daughter.
The couple now live with endless memories of their daughter in a two-bedroom house in Dwarka. Mr. Singh still works as an airport ground staff. His younger son is a Class XII student while the elder one, who refused to take the job offered by the Uttar Pradesh Government, is pursuing engineering from a private college in Rae Bareli.