Mourners fill streets in India after death of rape victim

NEW DELHI - Thousands of Indians poured into the streets of cities across the country Saturday to mourn the death of a young woman who was gang raped nearly two weeks ago in an incident that triggered a national conversation about violence against women.

Six men have been charged with murder after the woman, who suffered a brain injury and other internal damage, died in a hospital in Singapore, where she had been taken for care.

The government, responding to rising anger, promised to put the trial on a fast track.

"We have already seen the emotions and energies this incident has generated," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a statement Saturday. "These are perfectly understandable reactions from a young India and an India that genuinely desires change."

To prevent a repeat of last week's massive protests, many streets in the capital were blocked by police and barricades and 10 Metro stations were shut down Saturday.

The protesters, many of whom wore black tape across their mouths and held candles, were not allowed to march on the central boulevard, called India Gate, as they did last week. Police boxed them into a tiny street in the heart of the city where they sat on the ground chanting slogans and singing songs.

In other parts of the city, a steady stream of mourners also marched silently along sidewalks and in neighborhood parks. As night fell, many gathered in cities across the country, holding candles in tribute to the victim.

The victim was returning home from a movie and had boarded a bus with a male friend on the night of Dec. 16 when four men, including the bus driver, allegedly beat them up and gang raped her. The victims were thrown out of the bus and left to die.

On Saturday, the bus stop where the woman boarded the bus had been turned into an informal memorial displaying messages and flowers.

Indian authorities have been bitterly criticized for not doing enough for women's safety, and later for attacking the protesters with canes, tear gas shells and water cannons. Many doctors even questioned the government's decision to send the victim to Singapore in such a fragile condition, with some saying it was a political decision and not a medical one, aimed at containing the street protests.

Since the incident, Indians have discussed issues concerning the treatment of women, including violence, police attitudes, safety on public transportation, clothing and even Bollywood's gender stereotypes.

Meanwhile, another rape case has also drawn widespread attention. On Wednesday, a teenage rape victim committed suicide in the northern state of Punjab after police reportedly asked her demeaning questions when she went to the station to report the crime.

Activists say that such cases illustrate why sexual violence largely goes unreported in India. In recent years, New Delhi has earned the title of being the "rape capital" of the nation.