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The One Billion Rising on the Streets of Delhi
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of New York Times
Posted: February 19th, 2013
http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/15/the-one-billion-ri...
On Valentines Day in Delhi, the pink band was ubiquitous, tied around arms, on wrists and foreheads, around necks and backpacks. Printed on it were the words Enough! No More Violence Against Women. 'On Thursday evening, as many set out for the customary Valentines Day dinner in the nations capital, several hundred men, women and children gathered at Parliament Street for an unorthodox celebration: a movement using music and dance to oppose violence against women. We dont want violence; we want love, said Kamla Bhasin, the movements South Asia coordinator, to a cheering crowd of about 500 people. We want a just love, a love based on equality. In nearly 200 countries around the world, people took to the streets Thursday with a carnival spirit as part of One Billion Rising, a campaign initiated by Eve Ensler, the author of The Vagina Monologues, to highlight violence against women. In India, the message mirrored widespread public sentiment that has swelled after the gang rape and death of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student in Delhi in December, bringing womens rights and safety to the center stage of civic and political discourse. The campaign Thursday was a continuation of that fight. In recent months, young Indians have poured out in angry protests, condemning a police force that often exists for the preservation of power rather than the protection of people, and a political class that has routinely displayed apathy.
Note: For a powerful three-minute video on women breaking free, click here. To join the "One Billion Rising" movement, see their inspiring website here.
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