THE RECENT incidents of violence in the National Capital Region (NCR) have once again shaken the capital. The Nithari incident, Arushi murder case and now the henious gang rape. Sporadic group clashes have become ordinary incidents. The gang rape of an MBA student has made everyone insecure. The casual approach of the crime makes one think that it can happen to anyone at anytime.

The series of such crimes in the NCR is a result of a cultural clash. Nowhere else in the country, is there such a close juxtaposition of two extreme cultures. Delhi, though peopled mostly by outsiders has a culture. A metropolitan culture, men and women equally enjoy their share in the society. Girls go to schools, colleges and workplaces as freely as the boys. They also share their freedom equally. Boys and girls can walk, go to markets, films and even to the parks to spend some intimate moments. These are all that have become an accepted norm of metros. Delhi is the hub of international events and fashion shows. A good number of foreign visitors walk freely on the streets of the capital. Besides, being a political centre, Delhi is also a centre of education. All these, have contributed to the expansion of the city. Delhi is all set to become a world class city.

Inspite of all this, Delhi is also one of the cities that keep witnessing a clash of two extreme cultures. One is emerging urban, the other is rural. The outskirts of Delhi are peopled by farmers. Their primary source of income is cultivation. Close to India’s capital, they have acres of lands. Ironically, the emerging urban middle class in Delhi is struggling hard to own at least a two bedroom flat. As Delhi is expanding, these land owners found their barren land as jackpots. Suddenly they became rich, they have all the facilities that a rich has. What they still lack is education. The villages around Delhi are unique in nature. They are rural only in terms of their lifestyle, they have all the facilities that a city has. They have rather more facilities than many cities of India. It’s good, in fact very good. But their abundance of infrastructure in lack of education, at times invades to entity of their co-inhabitants.

The Noida incident of gang rape is the rape of a new emerging middle class by the well off  but boorish, ignorant and uncivilised neighbours of the Indian capital. This is not the first incident. The murder of Jessica Lal was an act of the same fraternity. Lack of education and abundance of money has made these urchins think that they can do whatever they can. The incident makes one think of how pathetic the conditions would be of girls in their villages. These incidents are hurdles for an emerging India.

The rapists must be punished severely. At the same time the situation needs to be seen in a broader perspective. The co existence of rural and urban cultures will further witness such incident if proper measures are not taken.