From candlelight marches and debates, the latest trend to highlight the issue of sexual violence in the Capital is a new comic book — Priya’s Shakti. Inspired by Hindu mythological tales, the story has a gangrape survivor, Priya, as its “superhero” along with Goddess Parvati, together who, fight against gender crimes.
To mark the second anniversary of the brutal December 16 gangrape, which killed a 23-year-old paramedical student in the national Capital, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), on Monday, unveiled a wall mural depicting “Priya” in Connaught Place (CP).
A dark-skinned woman draped in sari sitting astride a tiger is what the wall mural depicts. Explaining the painting, Yogesh Saini, founder of Delhi Street Art (DSA), said, “The picture is a scene from the comic in which she emerges victorious vanquishing her adversaries after confronting all taboos of being raped. She makes her entry back into her city on a tiger. Priya on a tiger is a symbol of power.” Besides asking all men and women to stand up to sexual violence, he added. The mural has been created on the walls of a power sub-station in the heart of Connaught Place.
If lack of security was not enough reason to be worried, the comic also narrates the harsh realities women face on the social level. Here, Priya opens up about her being gangraped to her parents only to be blamed and consequently banished. Dejected with all her aspirations quashed after the horrific incident, she is empowered by the guidance of Goddess Parvati — symbol of power, courage and strength in Hindu mythology.
Unveiling the mural, New Delhi MP Meenakshi lekhi said, “Nirbhaya’s tragedy is a lesson for all of us to continue to make our cities and our society a safe haven for women. The wall mural is special as it brings with it a message of hope and strength.”
“We always encourage street art and creative expression in New Delhi and any time the art carries a message of social relevance, we are even more supportive of the effort. In the recent past, Delhi Street Art team has helped us bring colour to garbage cans of lodhi Gardens as well as the walls of Shankar Market buildings. NDMC is committed to creating more friendly and safe neighbourhoods in the city for all citizens, especially for women,” said OP Mishra, Director, Projects, NDMC.
The mural also marked as the starting point of a march organised by Apne Aap Women Worldwide with girls from the red-light areas of Delhi
and student activists in remembrance of the gory December 16 gangrape case.