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                   India Mourns 23-Year-Old Gang Rape Victim

   by Anjana Pasricha

   The 23-year-old Indian victim of a brutal gang rape has died in
   Singapore, where she had been taken for treatment. There is tight
   security in the Indian capital to prevent mass protests like those that
   erupted after the gang rape. The incident has sparked widespread calls
   for social change.
   From people on the street, to the country's top leaders, messages of
   grief and vows to prevent similar crimes poured in as news of the death
   of the rape victim in New Delhi spread.
   The young woman died early Saturday morning in Mount Elizabeth Hospital
   in Singapore of severe organ failure, 13 days after she was brutally
   beaten and raped by a group of men in a moving bus in New Delhi. She
   had undergone multiple surgeries in the capital before being flown to
   Singapore Thursday for specialist treatment.
   India's High Commissioner to Singapore TCA Raghavan said her family
   members were by her side when she died.
   "In the end it was the scale of her injuries which proved too much,"
   said Raghavan.
   Across India, ordinary people, media and leaders paid tribute to her,
   calling her "braveheart" and "India's Daughter," and saying her death
   should be honored by bringing about social change.
   In New Delhi, several metro stations were shut and many roads sealed to
   prevent mass public protests like those that took place after the
   incident. Hundreds of police were deployed in the city. But scores of
   protestors still gathered and mourned in silence.
   There is widespread public outrage against authorities for not doing
   enough to prevent such crimes and assure safety of women.
   Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a statement said he understood the
   reactions from a young India that genuinely desires change. He said "It
   would be a true homage to her memory if we are able to channelize these
   emotions and energies into a constructive course of action."
   Delhi's Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the victim has shaken
   India's conscience.
   "Our hearts are burdened with grief and shame. And this is not a moment
   for speeches or words, but for deep reflection. I would like each one
   of you to be calm and peaceful," said Dikshit.
   Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde vowed strict action against the
   accused.
   Shinde says the government will heed public calls for strict punishment
   to the guilty and ensure that such incidents do not happen again.
   Home Secretary RPN Singh said authorities are committed to bringing
   about change to ensure women's safety.
   "The government will work overtime to try and bring about laws and
   steps that will ensure that no other person, no other citizen of the
   country has to undergo the same kind of trauma," said Singh.
   India's government has been criticized for being slow to understand the
   outrage that followed the incident, in a country where crimes against
   women are growing, and where police figures show that rape is among the
   fastest growing crimes, even though many rapes go unreported.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/india-mourn-rape-victim/1574324.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/india-mourn-rape-victim/1574324.html