NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu for the first time has publicly spoken about her views on the Kolkata incident through an article titled “Women’s Safety: Enough is Enough.”
Declaring that “enough is enough,” Murmu stressed upon the urgency of addressing the harmful mindset that views women as “less powerful, less capable, less intelligent,” because of which women are often objectified and victimised.
In a powerful statement, she said that both the government and society must work together to change this mentality.
In a signed article for PTI, the president expressed her deep dismay and horror over the recent rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata on August 9.
Tragedy that has once again shook the nation’s conscience and sparked widespread protests. This incident, she said, is not a single case but part of a distressing pattern of violence against women.
“Even as students, doctors and citizens were protesting in Kolkata, criminals remained on the prowl elsewhere. The victims include even kindergarten girls,” Murmu said.
“No civilised society can allow its daughters and sisters to be subjected to such atrocities,” wrote Murmu.
“The nation is bound to be outraged, and so am I,” she added.
Reflecting on the context of women rights, Murmu stated that throughout history, women have to fight for every inch of progress.
Social prejudices and customs have often restricted the expansion of women’s rights, leading to a “deplorable mindset” that views women as inferior. This mindset, she argued, is a root cause of the crimes committed against them.
“It is ingrained deeply in the minds of such people,” the president wrote, stressing that countering this mentality is a task for both the country and society at large.
While laws and social campaigns are made, Murmu agrees that there is still “something that continues to come in the way and torment us.”
She highlighted the need for honest self-reflection, urging society to confront its collective failures. “History often hurts,” she said, pointing out that societies that are afraid to face history tend to bury their heads in the sand, like the proverbial ostrich.
“Now the time has come not only to face history squarely but also to search within our souls and probe the pathology of crimes against women.”
She called for a comprehensive approach to tackling the root causes of these crimes, starting with honouring the memory of the victims and fostering a culture that remembers these tragedies to prevent future ones.
“Let us deal with this perversion in a comprehensive manner so as to curb it right at the beginning,” she urged.
The president also shared an instance from a recent Raksha Bandhan interaction with school children, where they asked her if incidents like the Nirbhaya case could ever be prevented in the future.
She expressed her frustration that, despite efforts made after that 2012 Delhi gang rape incident, similar tragedies continue to occur.
“Did we learn our lessons?” she asked, noting that as social protests fade, these incidents are usually forgotten until another heinous crime happens.
The society needs honest, unbiased self-introspection, and asks itself some difficult questions, the president said.
“Where have we erred? And what can we do to remove the errors? Without finding out the answer to that question, half of our population cannot live as freely as the other half,” she said.
Declaring that “enough is enough,” Murmu stressed upon the urgency of addressing the harmful mindset that views women as “less powerful, less capable, less intelligent,” because of which women are often objectified and victimised.
In a powerful statement, she said that both the government and society must work together to change this mentality.
In a signed article for PTI, the president expressed her deep dismay and horror over the recent rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata on August 9.
Tragedy that has once again shook the nation’s conscience and sparked widespread protests. This incident, she said, is not a single case but part of a distressing pattern of violence against women.
“Even as students, doctors and citizens were protesting in Kolkata, criminals remained on the prowl elsewhere. The victims include even kindergarten girls,” Murmu said.
“No civilised society can allow its daughters and sisters to be subjected to such atrocities,” wrote Murmu.
“The nation is bound to be outraged, and so am I,” she added.
Reflecting on the context of women rights, Murmu stated that throughout history, women have to fight for every inch of progress.
Social prejudices and customs have often restricted the expansion of women’s rights, leading to a “deplorable mindset” that views women as inferior. This mindset, she argued, is a root cause of the crimes committed against them.
“It is ingrained deeply in the minds of such people,” the president wrote, stressing that countering this mentality is a task for both the country and society at large.
While laws and social campaigns are made, Murmu agrees that there is still “something that continues to come in the way and torment us.”
She highlighted the need for honest self-reflection, urging society to confront its collective failures. “History often hurts,” she said, pointing out that societies that are afraid to face history tend to bury their heads in the sand, like the proverbial ostrich.
“Now the time has come not only to face history squarely but also to search within our souls and probe the pathology of crimes against women.”
She called for a comprehensive approach to tackling the root causes of these crimes, starting with honouring the memory of the victims and fostering a culture that remembers these tragedies to prevent future ones.
“Let us deal with this perversion in a comprehensive manner so as to curb it right at the beginning,” she urged.
The president also shared an instance from a recent Raksha Bandhan interaction with school children, where they asked her if incidents like the Nirbhaya case could ever be prevented in the future.
She expressed her frustration that, despite efforts made after that 2012 Delhi gang rape incident, similar tragedies continue to occur.
“Did we learn our lessons?” she asked, noting that as social protests fade, these incidents are usually forgotten until another heinous crime happens.
The society needs honest, unbiased self-introspection, and asks itself some difficult questions, the president said.
“Where have we erred? And what can we do to remove the errors? Without finding out the answer to that question, half of our population cannot live as freely as the other half,” she said.