Letter to the Editor
Sir,
This is in reference to your coverage on Ankita Bhandari case in your edition dated 4 January ‘26. The re-emergence of the Ankita Bhandari case is not the return of a political controversy; it is the reopening of a wound on the conscience of Uttarakhand. Attempts to brand public anguish as politically motivated are not only dishonest but deeply insulting to a society that has historically revered nari samman – the dignity and honour of its daughters. Ankita was not a symbol created by political imagination. She was a young woman with dreams, vulnerabilities, and a right to safety. Her story resonates because it could have been the story of any daughter from Srinagar to Champawat, from Haridwar to Pithoragarh. To reduce this collective pain to partisan noise is to trivialise the fear that now silently walks with every family that sends its daughter out into an uncertain world.
This issue transcends party lines, ideologies, and electoral calculations. It concerns asmita – the very moral identity of Uttarakhand. When influential names surface and proceedings appear to soften around power, the demand for an unbiased, comprehensive inquiry becomes not optional, but imperative. Justice must not merely be delivered; it must be seen to be delivered. Only a neutral investigation, conducted under the vigilant supervision of the Hon’ble Court, can restore public faith and ensure that no aspect of the case – howsoever inconvenient, is overlooked. Public movements demanding truth and accountability should not be hastily labeled as “political pressure”. Such branding is a convenient escape from answering uncomfortable questions. A people’s movement for justice is the soul of democracy, not its disruption. If every moral question is reduced to political motive, then society is left defenceless against the misuse of power.
History offers us a stern warning. If powerful individuals are allowed to escape accountability yet again, posterity will remember us not as a progressive society but as a fearful one – one that chose silence over courage. The ripple effects of such impunity do not remain confined to one case. Misconduct emboldened at the top eventually seeps into every layer of society, reaching every home. When power learns that it can get away, no woman, irrespective of age, class, or geography can feel safe.
Uttarakhand’s cultural memory reminds us that women here were never meant to be silent sufferers. From Tillu Rauteli, Rani Karnavati, Gaura Devi, to countless unnamed women who have carried this hill state on their backs with resilience and grace, our legacy is one of courage, not compromise. That same spirit must guide us today.
This moment calls for unity among women across all walks of life – politicians from all parties, social activists, educators, journalists, legal professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, and students. Organidations such as FICCI Flo, NGOs, teachers’ associations, women’s collectives, and cultural platforms must rise above partisan loyalties and material temptations. Plush appointments, financial inducements, and symbolic gestures cannot be the price of silence when the safety of future generations is at stake. Celebrities and public figures who command influence, owe it to society to speak – not selectively, not cautiously, but truthfully. Silence in times of injustice is not neutrality; it is quiet endorsement. The hills have always echoed loudly when wronged, and they must do so again.
This is not a call for agitation but for integrity. Not for vengeance, but for justice. Ankita’s case is a test – of our institutions, our leadership, and our collective conscience. The outcome will tell our daughters whether this society will protect them or merely mourn them. Let us ensure that when history looks back at this moment, it does not mock us for our cowardice but remembers us for our courage.
Yours etc.,
Col Bhaskar Bharti (Retd)
