‘Until when are we supposed to live in fear?’: Students demand safer Delhi after Kalkaji rape

New Delhi: Two incidents reported within days of each other in Bihar's Jamui and Delhi's Kalkaji have brought women's safety and access to public spaces back into focus, with students calling for better infrastructure, greater policing and stronger efforts to educate men.

In Jamui district, a purported video circulated on social media showing a minor girl and her male companion allegedly being harassed and molested by a group of youths. Days later, a 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by three men near Lady Shri Ram College for Women after visiting Kalkaji Mandir with a male friend and entering the nearby Aastha Kunj Park on her birthday.

The incidents have renewed concerns over the safety of women in public spaces, where many women say they continue to feel compelled to remain constantly alert when they step outside their homes.

Following the Kalkaji incident, arrests were made and protests were held near LSR College and Gargi College, with students demanding greater safety measures.

“Until when are we supposed to live in fear?”

The aftermath also saw LSR move temporarily to online classes, while the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) announced a comprehensive safety audit of public parks.

The audit will examine measures including adequate lighting, security personnel at entry and exit points and mandatory patrolling inside parks, particularly after sundown.

The Delhi Police has also increased its presence, with 'pink police' being planned and extensive patrolling deployed across the city and its parks.

For students, however, physical security is only one part of the solution. They are demanding functional streetlights, particularly in vulnerable areas, better policing and campaigns to educate men, along with swift and strict punishment for those convicted of sexual offences.

A third-year Gargi College student said the fear of harassment and violence has become a constant part of life.

"We are constantly, literally living with fear. I mean, this is really bad that it's 2026 and we are still fighting for basic rights."

"Our basic demand was that the street lights that are not working near Gargi should be fixed, it's not safe to go in the dark," she added.

The students also questioned why restrictions on women's movement should be seen as a solution to crimes against them. They argued that greater emphasis should instead be placed on educating men and ensuring accountability for perpetrators.

“Why shouldn't the restrictions be on men? Why don't you educate them? And put restrictions on them…If you publicly punish those rapists, who are basically responsible it will help,” she said.

Speaking about the Jamui incident, the student questioned the right of others to control where women can go or whom they can meet.

“Who gave you the right to stop somebody from going anywhere? Who are you to question them? It's their choice, their right…Who gave you the right to molest that female?”

A second-year student expressed a similar view, arguing that restrictions alone would not address the underlying problem.

"Even if you lock down, there will be no benefit until we educate society”

She also called for capital punishment for rapists, describing them as “murderers” and highlighting the severity of the trauma suffered by victims.

The students said responsibility for women's safety extends beyond government agencies and includes educational institutions and families.

“It's also the responsibility of educational institutions and society as a whole to ensure that men are not raised in such a way that they think it's okay to rape women and they can go scot-free. It is part of rape culture if you do not correct young boys,” a student said.

On September 26, students from several Delhi University colleges marched outside Gargi College and Kamala Nehru College, demanding accountability following the alleged rape.

Yaksha Sharma, a DU alumna who joined the protest, criticised proposals that could restrict women's access to public spaces.

"You've restricted us. This is exactly that patriarchal mindset, that when it comes to a girl, then just lock the girl up at home."

Data from the National Commission for Women (NCW) shows that 27,672 complaints linked to crimes against women were received in 2025. The commission recorded another 21,908 complaints in 2026 so far. The categories include domestic violence, assault, criminal intimidation, dowry harassment, sexual harassment, and rape or attempted rape.

Assault-related complaints stood at 3,921 in 2025 and 2,711 so far in 2026. Complaints relating to rape or attempted rape totalled 1,625 in 2025 and 951 in 2026 so far.

The figures represent complaints received by the NCW and do not capture every incident of violence against women.

"This is a reported case. There are so many cases that are unreported which we don't even know," the third-year Gargi College student said.

Students are now calling for functioning streetlights, stronger patrolling in vulnerable locations and sustained campaigns to educate society, saying such measures are essential to making public spaces safer for women.