The fire over the Kolkata rape-murder case is not subsiding across the country. Slogans demanding justice for the rape and murder of a female doctor at RG Kar Hospital were heard in many cities and towns of West Bengal on Sunday night. People were carrying torches and the tricolour in their hands. Women, young and old, everyone formed a human chain to give justice to the woman. They sang the national anthem with burning torches. Many people waved the tricolour. Civil society has allowed only the hoisting of the tricolour to register protest in non-political rallies across the state. The Supreme Court is going to hear this case today.
The body of the female trainee doctor was found in the hospital on August 9. The Supreme Court will hear the case related to this incident on Monday. Many protesters who participated in the third event of ‘Reclaim the Night’ in the state said that they are confident that the apex court will do justice. In the third edition of the ‘Reclaim the Night’ campaign, a large number of people came out on the streets in different parts of the state at midnight on Sunday. The first similar demonstration was held on August 14 and the second demonstration on September 4.
There is a cry for justice in entire Bengal
Protests broke out in every corner of Kolkata over the rape-murder incident, and protesters registered their protest by lighting the ‘flashlight’ of their mobile phones. During this time, many people were wearing black clothes. In an unprecedented display of solidarity, thousands of people took to the streets in Kolkata and its suburbs, cities like Siliguri, Durgapur and Kharagpur, and Balurghat, Purulia, Cooch Behar and other small towns and settlements.
A nearly 14-km-long human chain was formed from Shyambazar to Sodepur in north Kolkata. Apart from students and teachers, people from different walks of life, from working professionals like IT professionals to rickshaw-pullers, joined the protests. Alumni of various educational institutions, ceramicists, rickshaw-pullers and junior doctors, among others, took to the streets in different ways on Sunday to protest the rape and murder of a female trainee doctor.
Family members are also with the protesters
The mother of the female intern demanded the arrest of all the culprits and said that earlier she had a daughter and now all the protesting doctors are her children. About 4,000 alumni from more than 40 schools in South Kolkata walked two kilometres demanding justice. A large number of women were among these protesters. Alumni of different age groups took out a rally from Gariahat to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road crossing via Ras Bihari Avenue raising slogans of “We want justice”.
I shudder thinking about my daughter’s pain- mother
Hundreds of junior doctors of the government NRS hospital took out a rally from Sealdah to the Esplanade in the heart of the city where the parents of the deceased were also present. The deceased’s mother said, “Whenever I think of the pain my daughter suffered that night, I shudder. Her dream was to serve society, now all these protesters are my children.”
Garima Ghosh, the main organiser of the protest, said, “Apart from our main demand of punishment to all those involved in the brutal attack and murder of Abhaya (victim’s symbolic name), we also demand safety of women in all workplaces.” In another rally, ceramic makers took out a rally from Kumartuli in north Kolkata via Rabindra Sarani to Shyambazar Panchgonal Square, with a girl dressed as Goddess Durga leading the rally.
The protesters sang Arijit Singh’s song ‘Aar Kabe’ (How long will you wait) in solidarity with the victims of sexual harassment and held placards demanding a speedy investigation and justice in the RG Kar murder-rape case. Apart from sculptor Sanatan Dinda, singer Lagnajita also joined the rally. Dinda said, “A month has passed, but the fire inside us will continue to burn until the culprits are caught.”
Lagnajita, a prominent face of the protest, said, “We will not rest until our sister gets justice. We will protest peacefully, even if it means months of struggle.” Around 100 people took out a rally with hand-pulled rickshaws from Hedua Park to College Square in north Kolkata. “We demand justice for Abhaya – who is our daughter,” said Rameshwa Shaw, a rickshaw driver who hails from Darbhanga in Bihar.
Clashes during demonstration, police took over
Protests were also held at several other places in West Bengal. One such march in Naihati in North 24 Parganas district turned into a scuffle when a group of youths allegedly affiliated to the Trinamool Congress barged into the rally. The group accused the protesters of blocking the main Ghoshpara Road. “A group of people broke the loudspeaker wire on a vehicle participating in the rally and beat up some people,” a protester said. Police brought the situation under control.
