Delhi Students Demand Safer Streets, Not Curfews, After Aastha Kunj Incident
Women across Delhi’s colleges are highlighting significant safety concerns extending beyond campus perimeters to their daily commute routes, including roads, parks, metro stations, and neighbourhoods. Students describe altering routes, travelling in groups, avoiding certain areas after dark, or leaving college early. These concerns intensified after a gang rape case involving a 17-year-old at Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji, which prompted a solidarity march on Monday, September 28, 2026.
Hundreds of students from Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) gathered outside its back gate, extending to Moolchand, following the incident. A police encounter near LSR's back gate even led to temporary online classes. Students report frequent issues like catcalling, stalking, and indecent exposure. Anjali, a Gargi College alumna, recounted changing her route from Moolchand Metro Station to Green Park Station due to men following her on deserted paths, despite the added time and cost. The eight-to-nine-minute walk from Moolchand Metro to LSR’s back gate is deemed unsafe after dark due to poor lighting and low footfall.
Students are advocating for systemic improvements rather than imposing restrictions on their movement. During the LSR solidarity march, participants walked along routes they identified as unsafe, from the back gate towards Moolchand. While policing at LSR has increased post-incident, including activity at the Pink Booth, students question why these measures were not implemented before such a "heinous crime" occurred. The Students’ Union has addressed issues like unlit roads, lack of policing, and blocked footpaths.
What to watch: How authorities respond to student demands for infrastructure and policing improvements in Delhi's public spaces.
Editor's note: The article effectively synthesizes the student protest context, specific safety concerns, and the institutional response provided in the text.
This article is AI-generated and fact-gated. Original reporting: The Hindu