Gurugram women come together to reclaim public spaces

The demonstration came against the backdrop of the sexual assault and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at a Kolkata hospital on August 9

Updated on: Aug 19, 2024, 05:58:18 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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Over 700 people took part in the event. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Over 700 Gurugram residents, in a move to reclaim public spaces for women following recent incidents of crimes against women that have garnered national attention, held a peaceful demonstration and candlelight vigil at Leisure Valley Park in Sector 29.

Participants in the demonstration included doctors, community groups and members of local associations.

One of the event organisers, Samita Halder, a resident of Sector 52, said, “The overwhelming turnout of more than 700 people from across different areas of Gurugram and Delhi-NCR shows the strength and unity in our demand for justice. This movement is not just about one incident, it is about ensuring the safety and dignity of all women,” she said.

The demonstration came against the backdrop of the sexual assault and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at a Kolkata hospital on August 9.

Women activists at the spot on Sunday said that women continued to remain vulnerable despite stricter laws enacted after the 2012 gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a Delhi bus.

Shampa Moitra, a resident of South City-1, said, “This is a non-partisan protest with no political agenda.”

Dr Manmeet Kumar, a spiritual coach and a resident of Sector 48, said the movement resonated deeply with everyone present at the spot.

Organisers said that they were overwhelmed by the support for the movement, citing social media posts as key in attracting participants from various walks of life, who united in their pursuit of justice and safer public spaces for women.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More