Northeastern community in Delhi forms "Friends of She" to support the rape victim of Dec 16

New Delhi, December, 19, 2012 :

NEIIM launches social media campaign to create a "circle of friends" for the victim
* To work as emotional support system to the victim for her recovery from mental trauma in days to come

She was the best part of the mankind. She was that part which completes human. She was your mother, lover, sister, and friend. She was your hope, reason, dream, strength, and compassion. She was free, active, and fighter. She was everything that you need to ooze out a tear of happiness or sorrow.

She was your pride that you fought, she was your honor that you kept, she was your love that you were proud of, and she was your compassion that you hold on to in times of distress and tragic. But she was outraged by creatures of the worst order, and the human kind cut their sorry figure in shame. The city of Delhi, the capital of India, the nation is ashamed of such citizens to say the least.

This is in reference to the recent barbaric incident of a girl being gang raped in a moving bus by a group of criminals in Delhi on the night of December 16, 2012. The North East India Image Managers (NEIim) would like to empathies with everyone who are standing together in this tragic hour and condemn such an inhuman act. The North Eastern community in Delhi is no alien to such tragedies and harassments to women from the region working or studying here.

We seen much of it in yesteryears in Delhi, may it be the brutal Dhaulakuan rape case of a BPO employee or many other cases of violence against women. The culprits of that particular case are still unpunished, and the victim is continuing to live in the trauma. Similar demands were made and a lukewarm response from government has contributed towards a behavioral recklessness among a section of society that believes that they can get away with anything without any consequence. This needs to change. The government needs a change in their attitude towards treating such crimes. A swift, strong and deterring action is required to daunt off such barbaric incident in the future. Any callous announcement should be followed up with adequate actions by the book.

We all protest and express our anguish demanding quick justice to the victim. But at the same time we realize that the innocent girl would go through tremendous mental trauma once she gets out of the the physical wounds inflicted by the criminals and faces the world. She would need a support system in terms of friends and family then for a good long time to face the tough times ahead. This realization makes us feel the need to make that support system of friends ready for her which understandably she would find missing otherwise.

As the world reacts with utter shock and pain to this barbaric incident NEIIM, specially lead by the women brigade of NEIIM, has come up with an initiative to create a circle of true friends for the victim to help her ride through the mental trauma in days to come. A group named "Friends of She" is being created using social media today which is being formed to bring all together under one network who would like to stand by the innocent victim of the incident as her true friends in days to come.

Those who join Friends of She network come with the commitment to provide the girl the much needed love, care, compassion and emotional support in her journey to beat the tremendous mental trauma and come back in terms of a normal social life. We commit to stand by her as true friends in need and build the much needed emotional support system for her, may it be her smallest of needs to share a smile with a friend or go out shopping with a friend. We are Friends of SHE.

We would hereby like to request one and all, no matter which part of the world you are in, to join the group https://www.facebook.com/groups/FriendsOfShe/ if you believe you can be the true friend of "SHE"!! We would like to stand at the door of the hospital the day she gets discharged with a smile on our face and a flower on our hand and say to her "World is beautiful with beautiful friends around" !!

On behalf of NEIIM and members of "Friends of She"-
Utpal Borpujari, President, NEIIM
Tarana Ahmed, Gen Secty, NEIIM
Dolly Raj
Salma Firoza Khanam
Madhur Konkona Roy

About NEIim: Northeast India Image Managers (NEIim) (http://www.facebook.com/groups/neimagemanagers/) is a group of PR/ Media / Brand Management/ Communications professionals hailing from Northeastern region of India and working in metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore etc. The group is aimed at discussing and finding out actionable issues pertaining to development and promotion of the image of Northeast India, which in the long run is expected to fill up the information and knowledge gap which has been existing leading to confusion about the people, society, economy and geography of Northeast amongst the rest of India.