Gone are the days when girls and women could stroll safely on the road. We wonder why, instead of improving, our country?s conditions are deteriorating each day. For the past weeks, the media has put great emphasis on rape cases continuously awakening public awareness. When a rape occurs, the news spreads around like wildfire for the first few weeks and then it dies. We see children as the future of our country but now those dreams seem to be shattered - their innocence, naivety and rights are snatched pitilessly away. Before they even know or understand their surroundings, they are becoming victims of lust, the lust of unscrupulous people.

People only debate or talk on this issue without implementing drastic actions to remedy the situation. As long as the members of their immediate family are safe, why should they waste precious time in raising their voices? why should they lose precious time to raise their voices? Is the government still pondering about what should be done when many people are subjected to various atrocities in our society? We are facing a critical situation where waiting for measures cannot be tolerated for the latter should be implemented immediately.

Every five years we vote and elect a party to rule our country. We give to this party not only our vote but also our trust; trust that we shall see a brighter future for everybody. The punishment that the law gives to criminals is not enough- the law is taken lightly. Thus criminals don?t fear going to jail where they are provided with a very good ?holiday?, with their meals on time and the population contributing to their livelihood.

Confining criminals within restricted walls is not enough. Leave alone the world, if we manage to make Mauritius a paradise island in the true sense, it will add meaning to our lives. Now the pictures of Mother Teresa and Lady Diana are gradually fading away. It is our duty to restore their pictures and rebuild Mauritius as a country of peace and justice. It is high time that the law, the government and the people understand their responsibilities towards their country and ignite the flame of hope in everybody?s hearts. We implore that justice be done; justice to Mauritians and humanity. It is an undeniable truth that in Dubai, the Islamic law punishes a criminal so severely that the criminal serves as lesson to future criminals as well as himself, thus lessening the probability of future crimes.

What has happened to other children today can happen to your child tomorrow; the person who has been killed today can be your brother tomorrow; the woman who has been raped today can be your sister or mother tomorrow. We should wake up from our deep slumber and react. Let us give real meaning to the following phrase ?as one people, as one nation, in peace, justice and liberty!? However, it is in the hands of government to give a ray of hope to our country, to cleanse our country and direct it towards progress. We are all waiting impatiently for this day to come. We do agree that Rome was not built in one day but a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.

<B>Shabnam, Sharma & Divya</B>