Pranab lays foundation stone for 'Nirbhaya Bhavan'

June 13, 2013: The 'Nirbhaya Bhavan' built in the memory of 23-year-old girl who was gang raped in Delhi will be the new headquarter of National Commission for Women.

Feeling ‘hurt’ by the Delhi gang rape and other recent incidents of crimes against women, the Indian President, Pranab Mukherjee, today said a society which cannot provide security and dignity to its women is not worth considering a civilised one.

He lamented the ‘depravity’ of human nature" as he laid the foundation stone for 'Nirbhaya Bhavan', a complex to be built in the memory of 23-year-old girl who was gang raped and brutalised here on December 16, last year. "The barbaric acts perpetrated on women is not just a matter of law and force, but also of the society's apathetic attitude. Whenever a woman is subjected to violence, people around show their apathy and aloofness. It is depravity of human nature," Mukherjee said.

"The recent cases of violence on women indicate that we have lost our civilizational values and a society which cannot provide respect, dignity and security to its women is not worth being called a civilized society," he added. Apparently referring to the Delhi gang rape and other incidents of crime against women in the last few months, Mukherjee said, "the recent happenings have hurt me. These show that we have lost our civilisational values."

He pitched for creating awareness so that society's participation in preventing such crimes can be increased. "Often, the accused is acquitted for lack of evidence. My appeal to all on this occasion is create adequate awareness so that we can fight against this evil," he said, adding this will help in restoring our civilizational values.

The five-floor 'Nirbhaya Bhavan' in Jasola in South Delhi will be the new headquarter of National Commission for Women.
(One World South Asia)