Ausually docile, complacent country has forced its politicians to sit up and take notice with unrelenting demonstrations to protest the increasing violence against women, triggered by the gang rape of a student. Yesterday, we ran a front page piece on how local trains, the so-called lifeline of Mumbai, are also becoming increasingly unsafe for women.

Whatever direction the ongoing protests take, and it is unfortunate that some of these have degenerated into large scale hooliganism, it is important that once these demonstrations die down, there is constant vigilance that this anger fructifies into action. Immediate action, of course, would be to mete out swift and harsh punishment to the rapists but it is long-term action that can bring about real change.