This Isn’t the Shimla We Once Loved – A Heartfelt Appeal from the Shimla Nagrik Sabha

We, the Shimla Nagrik Sabha, are still in shock. Yesterday’s brutal murder of Manisha Mittal right here in Shimla has left us heartbroken. And we are angry – not just at the criminals, but at the slow pace of justice. It’s been hours, yet those responsible are still out there. We demand that the administration act now. Catch them. Put them behind bars. Restore our faith in the law. Because honestly? When the accused remain untouchable even after so much time has passed, it shakes something deep inside us.

This is not the Shimla we grew up in. The Shimla where people came looking for peace. Where families would walk the Mall Road at midnight without a second thought. Where safety wasn’t a privilege – it was just how life was. Now? One murder has exposed how fragile that safety really is. It raises hard questions about law and order. It spreads fear among ordinary people. And yes, it will hurt tourism too. Who wants to visit a hill station where you can’t feel safe anymore?

Then there’s the Saraswati Paradise issue – old, painful, and still unresolved. Every couple of months, something happens there. We tolerated the small incidents. Students and parents somehow swallowed their fear. But this time, it’s murder. We still believe in the law – we trust that the killers will eventually be caught. But we cannot ignore the bigger picture.

Over 850 children study in that school. They are scared. Their parents are terrified. These are families who have saved thousands of rupees in fees, who moved from their villages to the city just to give their children an education. And now? They lie awake at night, wondering if their child is safe inside the school gates. That is not okay.

So here is what we, the Shimla Nagrik Sabha, are asking the district administration:

· Take over the school until this dispute is resolved. Run it yourselves. Don’t leave 850 futures hanging in balance.
· Ensure proper security inside the school premises.
· Catch the murderers – quickly – so that the victim’s family gets justice.

We are not asking for much. Just that our children feel safe. That parents stop trembling every time the phone rings. That Shimla becomes the Shimla we once loved – fearless, peaceful, welcoming.

We will meet the administration soon to say all this directly. But if nothing changes? Then the people of this area – parents, teachers, ordinary citizens – will have no choice but to come together. We will protest. We will raise our voices. Because silence is not an option anymore.

Vivek Kashyap
Secretary, Shimla Nagrik Sabha
9418128060

Jagmohan Thakur
President, Shimla Nagrik Sabha

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