In a potent and heartfelt call to action, “Where have we erred? And what can we do to remove the errors? Without finding out the answer to that question, the half of our population cannot live as freely as the other half,” President Droupadi Murmu expressed her deep concerns on the prevailing gender disparities and crimes against women in India.

On a solemn Wednesday in New Delhi, dated August 28, President Murmu starkly declared “enough is enough”, signaling that it's high time for the nation to confront and curtail the pervasive crimes that have long plagued women. Highlighting a grim reality, she criticized the societal “perversion” that demeans women as “less powerful, less capable, less intelligent”. This dangerous perception, she argued, not only undermines the potential and dignity of women but also paves the way for their dehumanization.

In an impassioned plea in her signed article for PTI, President Murmu lamented that such regressive views contribute to treating women merely as objects. “Those who share such views then go further and see the female as an object… We owe it to our daughters to remove the hurdles from their path of winning the freedom from fear,” she emphasized, urging a societal shift towards respect and equality.

Referring to the harrowing incident on August 9, where a junior doctor was raped and murdered in a Kolkata hospital, President Murmu conveyed her dismay and horror. She noted that this tragic event is not an isolated incident but part of a distressing pattern of gender-based violence. A “dismayed and horrified” president voiced that these continual offenses against women paint a grim tableau of the challenges women face.

President Murmu’s words resonate with a profound urgency as she states that no civil society can stand by while its daughters and sisters suffer such heinous acts. “The nation is bound to be outraged, and so am I,” she penned, reflecting both personal and national indignation towards the ongoing violence against women.

In a profound and direct address titled “Women’s Safety: Enough is Enough”, President Droupadi Murmu has publicly voiced her dismay and concern for the first time about the unsettling events of August 9 in Kolkata, which have deeply impacted the national psyche. This tragic incident has triggered ongoing protests, reflecting a society shaken and demanding change.

The opportunity for President Murmu to express her views came during a poignant meeting with a team of PTI senior editors. This meeting, held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, coincided with the 77th anniversary of the news agency’s establishment on August 27, 1947. It was during this gathering that President Murmu shared her deep-seated frustrations and insights on the current state of women's safety in India.

In her discourse, President Murmu highlighted an alarming scenario where despite public demonstrations in Kolkata, heinous crimes against women and children continue unabated across the country. “Even as students, doctors and citizens were protesting in Kolkata, criminals remained on the prowl elsewhere. The victims include even kindergarten girls,” Murmu lamented, pointing out the broad and disturbing spectrum of vulnerability.

During a touching interaction that took place on Raksha Bandhan, President Murmu met with schoolchildren who, with the naivety of youth, posed a heart-wrenching question about their safety. “They asked me innocently if they could be assured that there would be no recurrence of the Nirbhaya-type incident in future,” the president recounted. This reference to the brutal 2012 Delhi incident involving a physiotherapy intern underscores the deep scars such events leave on the collective consciousness of the nation.

Reflecting on the past decade, President Murmu acknowledged the efforts and initiatives that emerged in the aftermath of the Nirbhaya case. She observed that while some measures have made a difference, the continuity of similar tragedies reveals a grim reality. “In the 12 years since, there have been countless tragedies of similar nature though only few drew nationwide attention,” she stated, underscoring the sporadic national focus on such critical issues.

President Murmu critically evaluated the fleeting nature of social outrage and its fading impact over time. “Did we learn our lessons? As social protests petered out, these incidents got buried into a deep and inaccessible recess of social memory, to be recalled only when another heinous crime takes place,” she articulated.

In a profound examination of the state of women's rights, President Droupadi Murmu has articulated the strenuous journey and the ongoing struggles that women face to secure even the most basic of rights. She emphasized that throughout history, societal prejudices and certain customs and practices have persistently resisted the advancement of women's rights.

In her poignant commentary, President Murmu criticized a deeply ingrained and "rather deplorable mindset" that undermines women. “This mindset sees the female as a lesser human being, less powerful, less capable, less intelligent,” she highlighted, pinpointing the fundamental biases that contribute to the systemic undervaluation of women.

President Murmu attributed the frequent crimes against women to this very objectification, which, she noted, is perpetuated by a specific section of society. “It is ingrained deeply in the minds of such people,” she stated, underlining the depth of the issue and the necessity for a concerted effort from both the state and the broader society to counteract these prejudices.

While acknowledging the progress made through various laws and social campaigns aimed at enhancing women's rights and safety, President Murmu pointed out the persistent barriers. “Yet, there is something that continues to come in the way and to torment us,” she remarked, suggesting a deeper, systemic issue that hampers true progress.

Reflecting on the broader implications of historical avoidance, President Murmu observed that societies often suffer from “collective amnesia,” a tendency to ignore painful parts of their history, akin to an ostrich burying its head in the sand. “History, the president said, often hurts” and the reluctance to confront uncomfortable truths is a significant hindrance to societal growth.

President Murmu's compelling narrative reached a crescendo as she called for a robust confrontation with the past and an introspective look into the societal norms that perpetuate violence against women. “Now the time has come not only to face history squarely but also to search within our souls and probe the pathology of crimes against women,” she declared.

In a final, rallying cry, she urged the nation to address these pervasive issues comprehensively. “Let us deal with this perversion in a comprehensive manner so as to curb it right at the beginning. We can do this only if we honour the memory of the victims by cultivating a social culture of remembering them to remind us of our failures in the past and prepare us to be more vigilant in future,” Murmu concluded.

President Droupadi Murmu emphasized the urgent need for society to engage in sincere and unbiased self-reflection, confronting challenging questions that might unveil systemic failures in safeguarding women. “Where have we erred? And what can we do to remove the errors? Without finding out the answer to that question, the half of our population cannot live as freely as the other half,” she asserted. This call to action underscores the president’s dedication to addressing the deep-seated issues impacting women’s freedom and safety across India.

Amidst her comprehensive evaluation, President Murmu also subtly highlighted other disturbing cases of violence against women that have rocked the nation. She referred to egregious incidents like the rapes of nurses in Uttarakhand and Maharashtra and pointed out a series of sexual assault allegations within the Malayalam film industry. This inclusion underscores an ongoing crisis, where despite public outcry and protests, criminal activities continue unabated. "... even as students, doctors, and citizens were protesting in Kolkata, criminals remained on prowl elsewhere..." she remarked during a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

One particular case that drew significant attention and outrage was the brutal murder of a young doctor in a Kolkata hospital. The discovery of her body on the early morning of August 9, along with a post-mortem report detailing severe injuries, sparked widespread protests among healthcare workers and civil society groups across the nation. This tragic event has not only highlighted the grave risks faced by women but has also ignited political controversies.

The incident led to heated exchanges between West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP. Even the Congress, which is nominally an ally of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, didn’t hold back from launching fierce critiques. The dialogue intensified with letters exchanged between the Trinamool and the BJP, where Ms. Banerjee advocated for stronger legislation on women's safety, while the central government criticized her for inadequate implementation of existing schemes aimed at combating such crimes.

In a significant development, the investigation of the murder at RG Kar Hospital was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The shift came after the Calcutta High Court responded to a plea from the victim's parents, who alleged police negligence, directing the federal agency to take over the case.