The Delhi gang rape fuelled as much fire in countries all over the world as much as in India. Auckland wasn’t far behind in registering concern as it had a peaceful protest organised for the rape victim at Aotea Square recently.
But what is really the purpose of having protests overseas? Is it merely to keep up with the chain of revolution or is it really going to bring about the necessary change?
We got Divya Hariharan, one of the many young participants of the protest at Aotea Square, to answer the above questions. “Even though we may be living overseas, we are still Indian and many of us have deep connections with the country. The purpose of overseas protests like this one, in my opinion, is to show that the issue is of such importance that it is able to unite Indians all over the world. Overseas protests also show that we care a lot, and that we are not ‘detached’ from our home country (as is the common misconception).
Are these protests going to change things in our home country? Definitely. You do not need to live in India to be an Indian and want what is best for the country. Our protests are helping push this movement by helping fuel a mandate for change that comes from all corners of the world and is challenging the Indian government to act. Overseas protests help draw the attention of overseas media and this helps highlight the enormous problem that exists in our country and puts more pressure on Indian governing bodies to take this issue seriously and make a change that will last forever.
As a young woman, it was empowering for me to participate in this peaceful as it gave me a platform to express my opinion on what the root cause of this horrific Delhi gang rape incident is – gender inequality. It was fantastic to see both, men and women, young and old, come together and holding a unified vision of an India that treats both genders equally and where such violence is non-existent.