New Delhi, Dec 29 (IANS) The Editors Guild of India Saturday said the media rose to the occasion in covering the horrific Dec 16 gang-rape with responsibility, helping the protest stay mostly peaceful by providing outlets for expression of both grief and anger.
Condoling the death of the 23-year-old woman who was brutally gang-raped in a moving bus, it said: “The guild expresses its deep sadness at the passing away of the 23-year-old young woman who was gang-raped in a moving bus in the capital city two weeks ago.
“Her struggle to survive despite grievous injuries, and now her death, have sent shock-waves across the country, and brought about a public outpouring of grief and anger as never witnessed before. The Guild joins million of our people in condoling this tragic death,” said a statement from the guild issued here.
The Guild noted the media also rightly took the government and police to task for poorly-judged decisions on how to deal with demonstrations and for imposing excessive traffic restrictions.
The statement further said that the Guild recognises the role played by the social media in mobilising people to come out and express their solidarity, and noted that this marks an important change in the non-political organisation of widely-shared feelings and thoughts.
“Governments will have to respond, and governance change,” said the Guild.
According to the statement, the Guild recognised that the heinous crime of rape is far too common an occurrence in the country, and calls for speedy action to make punishment for rape both speedy and certain, as that is the surest preventive step that can be taken.
In addition, it calls on the government to tighten laws where necessary, and most importantly to outline a programme for changing attitudes towards women, “so that the ill-considered remarks of the sort made by some politicians in recent days are not considered symptomatic of broader attitudes”.
