Let us mourn, let us be angry, but let us not be violent

This is a sad moment for all of us. For India. We have just been witness to the ultimate and tragic outcome of the complex forces at work behind the phenomenon of brutal rape.

This is a moment for mourning, for anger, even, but not for violence. There have been a wave of demands for ruthless punishment, including hanging, for the perpetrators of this crime. The judicial system must be allowed to take its course at this hour, and we can hope that it will be swift.

This is a moment for all of us to look within ourselves, to examine how each of has contributed to this horrible act and the subsequent tragedy. There will be time for the protests and the demands for changes in laws, in systems, in policing, in policy. For this tragedy is one of many that have been and will be, unless we can bring about the change we need to see.

May the tragedy of this death make us vow to stop the violence that was its cause.

This is a moment to respect the privacy and dignity of the family of the brave young woman who fought for her life but could not win the battle - to salute her spirit, and to vow to do all that we can to ensure that such a thing never happens again. Let us protect one another, let us reach out to the person next to us.

This is a moment to ensure that this death is not in vain.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)