The Hindustan Times on the front page carried the story of fresh FIRs being filed in the Ruchika Girhotra’s case. The second headline read: 19 Years later charges say Rathore hid evidence, tormented girl’s brother.

It’s not that CBI has had a change of heart or unearthed new evidence or been provided new facts to base its case against Rathore. So what’s changed in the last few weeks after the court pronounced a minor fine and a six month jail term for a person who had tormented a girl to commit suicide and drove her family away from their home in Panchkula.

The answer is in the third part of the same HT story in the box titled “When Public Pressure Worked”. It goes to list the cases of Jessica Lall, Nitish Katara and Priyadarshini Mattoo, who were initially denied justice as the culprits had political clout, money and power to subvert the judicial system. However, the public pressure that was brought to bear upon the system changed the balance of power and forced the police and the government to re-examine the cases and eventually bring the culprit to justice.

As a student of public opinion, I would examine the formation of this public pressure.

The press has played a crucial part in giving an outlet to the voice to the many middle class citizens who traditionally did not have an outlet and lacked the courage or the will to come out demonstrate as some of our more rustic cousins. Chakka Jaam, Bandh, Strike are words only read by us in newspapers but we were rarely a part of any of these expressions. With news television and emergence of social media we have a medium of expressing OURSELVES. Just look at the SMSes that channels receive and air as tickers or the polls that various channels undertake or the citizen programmes like We the people to see ‘Middle India’ (my definition of the Indian Middle Class) find its voice and see how that voice gathers momentum. Whether it is Twitter or facebook middle India is fighting for Ruchika by expressing itself.

Someone once said “the voice of the people is the voice of God.” Need I say more.

But, did this voice emerge by itself?

While we celebrate the role of media in bringing the culprits to justice, let us recognise the real heroes who fought the system inspite of all the odds and the deck stacked against them. They faced persecution, threats to their lives, personal harassment but did not stand down. Aradhana, Ruchika’s friend in school and her parents who did give up the fight, Neelam Katara, who stood her ground against the goons of UP or Sabrina Lall who just carried on from one disappointment to another but persisted nevertheless and countless others, individuals and organisations who have fought with rare courage and tenacity and showed that in India Justice could be delayed but not denied…they are the real heroes of India because whilst media gave an outlet to the voice to ‘Middle India’ they inspired the ‘Middle India’ to have a voice.

Aam Admi and Aurat has spoken and the government is listening as this voice can no longer be ignored.

Think it over.

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Tags: Aradhana Gupta, Public Opinion, Public Relations, Rathore, Ruchika Girhotra, Ruchika Girohtra