Feature: Rape issue overshadows Women's Day in India

From nine o'clock in the evening, NDTV, one of India's largest television channel, stopped broadcasting news and put only one photo with an oil lamp, in memory of the victims of rapes which are taking place every 20 minutes in the country.

Two words accompanied the gloomy picture: "India's Daughters." The word daughter is plural, not singular. A hand appeared from time to time with the words "stop rape" on it.

The suffocating silence, lasting one hour, sent a strong message of protest against rapes that are being reported on a daily basis in the country on the International Women's Day.

The NDTV was supposed to broadcast a documentary at this time made by the BBC on the December 2012 Delhi gang rape -- "India's Daughter."

However, the documentary has been banned by the government mainly due to its controversial interview with one of the six convicted rapists of the Delhi gang rape in a heavy security jail in Delhi.

On the day, Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for gender equity and decried violence against women as the government said it has initiated one- stop crisis centers that will provide assistance to women who face violence in any form.

"Our heads hang in shame when we hear of instances of crime against women," said Modi, adding that he "salutes the indomitable courage and stellar achievements of women."

After the ban was imposed on "India's Daughter" last week, Indian society has been plunged into a large scale debate about the documentary on the one hand, and the chronic problem of violence against women on the other.

The sharp reaction to the event showed the wound caused by violence on women is deep and bleeding in India. The memory about the Delhi gang rape is fresh.

On Dec. 16, 2012, a 23-year-old medical student was raped and brutalized by six men on a moving bus in south Delhi. She was thrown out of the bus to a remote road in chilling cold. One week later she died of internal injuries.

The gang rape triggered unprecedented protests across India against violence on women, and forced government to adopt tougher laws against rapists.

However, more than two years after the crime was committed, one of the rapists, Mukesh Singh, came out on the BBC film in an interview, showing not a touch of remorse. He said he was not responsible for the crime and blamed the victim for going out at night with a boy.

The rape convict was sentenced to death by a court along with three other rapists. His brother, Ram Singh, allegedly committed suicide in jail. The sixth accused escaped judicial punishment because he was a juvenile.

The four are now waiting for a verdict from the Indian Supreme Court over an appeal.

The film, made by British documentarian Leslee Udwin, also went into shocking details about how the rapists brutalized the woman, triggering outrage among women's groups in India.

The parents of the victim, Jyorti Singh as was revealed for the first time by the BBC film, said the rapist should be hanged immediately.

Jaya Bachchan, a lawmaker and movie star, said the film has made a rapist a celebrity and called the details provided by him in the film about the crime disgusting and a second insult to the victim.

The BBC went ahead to air it last week, and tens of thousands in India also viewed it through YouTube and other social media on the net despite opposition of the Indian government.

Different from two years ago, no protest has been staged this time. But one can observe the stronger undercurrent that this controversial film has caused to India.

While Mukesh Singh and three other rape convicts are waiting for the final judgment from the Supreme Court, the renewed debate and strong though polarized public opinion about whether the film should be aired has shown that India is getting really serious to fight violence against women. Endi