Since independence 65 years ago, successive Indian governments have failed to tackle a problem that has now reached crisis proportions. Hopefully the tragic death of the young woman, so savagely assaulted by six rapists and left to die on a busy street, will persuade authorities to act decisively. They have no alternative. Rape is India's fastest-growing crime. It is a consequence of the bias that exists against females from the time of conception. As many as 20 million female fetuses have been destroyed in the past two decades alone. This is the result of female babies being seen by many Indian families as a liability, mainly because of the now-outlawed dowry system, but also because men are viewed as breadwinners and women denied education and jobs.
The result is a significant imbalance between males and females, with the UN estimating that 7000 fewer girls than boys are born each day. New Delhi has a ratio of only 800 women to every 1000 men. In such an environment, women are devalued and demeaned, and the gross sexual violence and harassment that caused the death of the student emerges as a national scandal. Rape remains a notoriously under-reported crime, not least because Indian society frequently blames and shames the victims, not the attackers, while a decrepit and inadequate court system invariably fails to help victims.
This is a situation that must not be allowed to continue. India's reputation as the world's largest democracy, and a civilised and respected society, deserves better. India's Congress Party government is better known for indecision than decision. But it must act on the issue of violence against women. A new generation with ambitions for a modern, prosperous India is no longer prepared to tolerate these barbaric practices - and neither should it.
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