Indian Women's Commissioner On Hunger Strike Over Rape Laws, She's At Day Six

This is so touching. The head of Delhi's Commission for Women (DCW) is staging an indefinite hunger strike to push for stricter laws for rape in India, including the death penalty, after a series of horrific attacks on young girls.

Swati Maliwal, chairwoman of the DCW, has been refusing food since April 13, as protests flared nationwide over the separate alleged rapes of two girls ages 16 and 8.

Lying on an outdoor stage in temperatures reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) in northeast Delhi, Maliwal is surrounded by minders who offer her sips of water to provide relief.


Maliwal is staging her strike at Rajghat, a memorial for Mahatma Gandhi, leader of India's independence movement. Gandhi, considered the father of the nation by Indians, was renowned for his nonviolent protests against British colonial rule.

Activists have rallied hundreds of supporters and are speaking on her behalf, calling for stricter laws and equal rights for women. Holding signs saying "Stop Rape," they chant the same message to passersby and others attracted by the crowds milling around the stage.