The recent case of an eight-year-old girl’s rape in Perwaiz Nagar of Kirari, Outer Delhi, has angered locals over safety and security of women in the area.
The recent case of an eight-year-old girl’s rape in Perwaiz Nagar of Kirari, Outer Delhi, has angered locals over safety and security of women in the area.
“Women and girls often complain how they get harassed by the local goons, but they are scared to go to the police against these bad elements. In absence of basic amenities like toilets, women and girls are forced to go out in the open. Organised prostitution and betting are another menace in Kirari area,” said Santosh Verma, a local.
More than 95 per cent people living in Kirari are migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and are employed mostly as daily wagers in industrial areas. Remaining five per cent are farmers who sold their lands long ago to these migrants.
“The Aman Vihar police station is five kilometres from Kirari, we just have ‘one’ police chowki for eight lakh people. Police visibility is very low in the area. The area serves as a safe hideout for interstate criminals. It seems that for the Delhi government, Kirari is not a part of Delhi. We also have a right to live with dignity,” said Pratyush Kanth, a journalist turned-Congress politician.
Last year, the people of Kirari organised and took part in a protest march against the city government, demanding basic facilities in the area. They want a local hospital, a local police station, government schools, community centres, better streetlights, public toilets, effective sewage system, quality roads, CCTV cameras and clean drinking water in Kirari. “We have got the assurance from representatives of the government, but nothing has been done. Women have to walk for 10 minutes every day to get water for drinking and other household purposes,” said Ram Shankar, a local.
A police official said that socio-economic condition of Kirari is very bleak. Crimes against women are higher than robberies.
“We often ask locals to educate girl child about women’s safety and keep them aware of bad persons,” said a senior police official.
