To “reclaim public spaces” and honour Nirbhaya, the 23-year-old student who was brutally raped in Munirka and died of her injuries at a hospital in Singapore 11 years ago, a group of women have been walking through dark stretches in south Delhi for some years now.
The ‘Women Walk at Midnight’ campaign started on a sombre note, with curator Mallika Taneja explaining that the idea of walking the 9-km stretch is to remember the night of December 16, 2012, when Nirbhaya was raped.
“Since 2017, women from various parts of the city have come together to participate in the ‘Women Walk to Remember’, a walk dedicated to Nirbhaya,” said Ms. Taneja, who led the walk on Saturday night from Saket to Munirka.
Starting from the brightly lit road in front of Select City Mall at 11 p.m., the group walked on broken and uneven pavements, crossing the Qutub Golf Course towards their destination.
Manikankana, a participant, alerted a fellow marcher from falling on a dimly lit pavement bordering the Qutub Golf Course. The 25-year-old recollected that the midnight walk was a way for her to connect with the Capital, after she moved from her native Guwahati.
“My mobility in the city was restricted because I didn’t have anyone to accompany me. With the ‘Women Walk At Midnight’ community, I feel I can explore the city without necessarily having a companion, especially at night,” added the trainee psychologist.
Limited washrooms in city
Bypassing slowing cars, with windows rolling down and prying eyes ascertaining the “purpose” of women loitering on the streets at midnight, a 52-year-old participant said she did not spot a single washroom for women. Aman Mohammadi, a PhD scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), comforted the woman that she could use her hostel washroom, which was another 2 km away.
“Public toilets meant for women are either locked or just not there,” said Ms. Taneja. An undergraduate from Delhi University agree with her and expressed her dismay at how after 5 p.m., all washrooms meant for women are locked on her campus.
“The authorities probably believe that under no circumstances a woman could be outside her home after her classes end,” the student added.
Leaving behind the beeline of chauffeur-driven cars in Adhchini village, the group were seen taking out their cellphones to turn on the torchlight since the stretch leading up to JNU did not have a single working streetlight.
Arpita Das, publisher of Yoda Press and a teacher, who has been participating in this walk for the past many years, said that despite several reminders to the authorities that dark spots are dangerous to women’s safety, very little has been done for course correction.
Singing and joking about the many curious men on speeding bikes, the undaunted women reached their final stop — the infamous bus stop from where Nirbhaya and her companion had boarded the ill-fated vehicle on which she was raped. Standing next to the bus stand was an unmanned PCR van.
Passing paper cups with hot milk tea around 2:30 a.m., the group soon got quiet. Breaking the silence, Ms. Taneja said every year upon reaching the bus stop, there is a sense of joy of having completed the walk, which is soon overwhelmed by the heaviness of grief that the location brings.
“Each year, during the walk, all those who identify as women are reminded that they had to go through such an unimaginable level of brutality for the country to change its laws,” added Ms. Das.
Ms. Mohammadi congratulated everyone who completed the long walk and expressed her wish to participate in the next midnight walk donning a hijab. “I have lost count of the midnight walks I have participated in, but today I wondered if we could loiter at midnight as ‘hijabi’ women. May be next time, I will try that,” she added.
The women finally checked each other’s travel arrangements and left in shared cabs, with the promise of coming together again on the day next year to remember Nirbhaya’s pain and look up to her spirit.
