Students of Miranda House, University of Delhi (DU), will hold a solidarity march today, September 28 under the banner ‘Hum Auratein Aazad Hai’, days after the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl at a park in Delhi’s Kalkaji area.The march is independently organised by students and has no party affiliation, according to the poster circulated on Instagram. It is open only to women and queer participants. Organisers have stated that participants do not need to be college students.
What the poster says
Miranda House students are the only participants who will gather outside Gate No. 7 of the college at 2:30 pm, the poster states. They will then walk along Chhatra Marg to Gate No. 4 of the Faculty of Arts.Students from all other colleges are asked to join at 3 pm at the Faculty of Arts, Gate No. 4. Their route runs from Gate No. 4 to Gate No. 1 of the Faculty of Arts, as marked on a separate map in the same set of posters.The organisers have set conduct rules for the march:
- Offensive language, slurs, abuses, slogans or banners that are sexist, misogynistic, casteist, homophobic, transphobic or discriminatory in any form will not be tolerated.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) generated media, posters or other content will not be entertained.
- The march is to remain peaceful.
Safety guidelines for participants ahead of the march. (Credit: Instagram)
A separate “For Your Safety” advisory asks participants to carry a face covering if comfortable, avoid carrying or wearing items that reveal personal information, bring water or oral rehydration solution (ORS), and wear comfortable clothing and shoes for extended walking or standing.
A week of protests
The Miranda House march is the latest in a series of student mobilisations.Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) for Women, located about two kilometres from the park, cancelled regular classes after the incident and held classes online, calling the step a precaution. Students of the college held a protest march on the same day. LSR said regular offline classes would resume on September 24.On September 25, women students from several DU colleges marched from the gate of Kamala Nehru College under the same message, ‘Hum Auratein Azaad Hain.’ That march was open to all women and gender minorities. Students from LSR, Gargi College, Miranda House and Kamala Nehru College took part, and reports put attendance at nearly 200.In a statement to PTI, the students said: “From Jamui in Bihar to a park in the national capital’s Kalkaji area, we are the women who felt unsafe walking in unlit streets at night.”
What students are demanding
The organisers have consistently framed the march as a response to how safety is being defined, not only to the crime itself.The students demanded better street lighting, improved public transport access and measures that let women use public spaces without fear. They also called for opportunities to study and work without restrictions on mobility, and questioned the emphasis on surveillance and restrictions as a response to sexual violence.Following the September 25 march, participants released a ten-point declaration, according to the university’s independent student publication. It calls for street lighting on roads, parks and public spaces, particularly around universities, slums and industrial areas. It also seeks more Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and shuttle buses, metro passes for women, and functional public toilets and menstrual-health facilities for women and gender minorities. Consultations towards a proposed ‘Charter of Demands for Delhi Citizens’ were announced.
The official response and the objection to it
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which maintains Astha Kunj Park, has ordered tighter security at its parks. The directions, issued by its Vice Chairman, include controlled entry after sunset at parks with multiple gates, additional CCTV cameras and lighting, more security personnel and increased night patrols. The DDA will also carry out a time-bound safety audit of its parks.Organisers of the marches have objected to what they describe as restrictions on women’s access to public parks after sunset and to stricter hostel and PG curfews. Their argument is that such measures place the burden of safety on women instead of addressing the conditions that make spaces unsafe.The Astha Kunj case comes amid a run of reported sexual offences in the capital. By mid-September 2026, at least 13 cases of rape and sexual assault had been reported across Delhi and neighbouring areas, according to media reports.