16 December: 5 Years Since Nirbhaya, How Much Has Delhi Changed?

Has the mindset of private bus drivers and conductors of Delhi changed in last 5 years?

A group of protestors demanding justice for Nirbhaya.

(Photo: Reuters)

Five years ago, on 16 December 2012, the entire nation was shocked at the gruesome Nirbhaya rape and murder case. Nationwide protests were organised demanding capital punishment for the rapists.

Five years later, there are still some questions that need to be answered.

• How safe is Delhi?
• Has the thought process of private bus drivers and conductors changed?

The Quint attempted to find out the answer to these questions. We spoke to a number of drivers and conductors who run private buses late in night on Delhi streets.

Also Read: How Did the Law Change After Nirbhaya’s Case?

At Ground Zero

Our journey begins at Munirka bus stand. This the same bus stand where Nirbhaya got on the bus with his friend. After speaking to a few drivers and conductors, we got the impression that actually, nothing has changed.

Even today, most of them are of the opinion that women must not roam around at night.

Only those women come out at night who have wrong intentions.

While there were others who thought that the way a woman dresses gives them the right to judge her.

They wear such short clothes. Even we have sisters and daughters. By looking at a woman’s attire we can tell a lot about her character.

Also Read: Chhoti Nirbhaya: A 5-Year-Old Rape Survivor Still Fights Valiantly

However, not all the drivers were so patriarchal and sexist in their thought process. We did meet a precious few drivers who agreed that ‘half of India’s population’ should have the freedom to live life as they please.

But after canvassing the drivers and conductors in the area, we came to the sad conclusion that nothing has changed in the last five years. Most of the bus drivers expressed the exact same mindset that led to the horrific incident on 16 December five years ago.

Producer: Hera Khan
Editor: Mohd Ibrahim
Camperaperson: Shiv Kumar Maurya