Dear Citizen,

While the country is still recovering from the shocking Nirbhaya case in Delhi (2012) and the gangrape of a young female photojournalist in Mumbai (2013), we continue to read about acts of sexual violence being committed against women, everyday, all the over the country. Apart from raising public awareness and attempting to bring about a fundamental behavioural change in society, we need our government to be vigilant and take action against these heinous crimes.

As a young Indian woman who wants to make a difference, I request you to support Jagaran - a citizen initiative that I have started - that aims to use public voice and public perception to tackle the issue of women's safety. With the mantra of being proactive rather than reactive, this campaign will not only map unsafe areas in Mumbai (a map-before-the-crime-happens approach) but will also pinpoint the exact reason why a particular road or area is considered unsafe. This valuable information will help to create a vigilant society and at the same time, will help to inform the public and the authorities of the exact action steps that need to be taken in the short and long run in order to ensure that Mumbai is a safe city for every citizen. The Jagaran safety mapping platform can be found here: www.socialcops.org/jagaran

Please join me in petitioning the Government of Maharashtra to take our voices and the results of the Jagaran safety mapping campaign seriously. Even though the Jagaran campaign is specific to Mumbai, this petition fights for a larger cause - to take a stand for the safety of women all over India. By starting and succeeding in one city, we can hope to have a snowball effect and spread the movement to other cities in India. We need the government to support such citizen-led initiatives  and take appropriate and timely action to ensure the safety of every girl and woman in Mumbai, and hope to see the change reflected all over India.

We can no longer be silent spectators to the unacceptable acts of sexual violence that are being committed against girls and women everyday. This country is our home and we need to ensure that is a safe place for every girl and woman. You can make a difference. Take a stand now!

Thank you for your support.

Yours,
Paroma Bhattacharya,
Jagaran.