Thousands of people participated in a protest rally in Kolkata on Tuesday, September 3 demanding justice for a female doctor raped and murdered at city’s RG Kar Public Hospital last month. The protest called jointly by the left parties in India’s West Bengal province also raised the issue of safety of women in public places and their right to free movement.
Protesters also raised the demand for accountability of the government in the province which failed to control the deterioration in the law and order. They demanded the arrest of the principal of the hospital as well as of the police commissioner of Kolkata city who they allege tried to cover up the incident in order to protect the culprits.
Security personnel tried to prevent the protesters from marching on the designated routes and attacked them, injuring several. The march which started at the city’s Raza Bazar area was heading towards the RG Kar hospital but was stopped at the ShyamBazar.
তিলোত্তমার জন্য কল্লোলিনী তিলোত্তমা pic.twitter.com/BEGsvbERc2
— Minakshi Mukherjee (@MinakshiMukher8) September 3, 2024
The left parties, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (CPI), Forward Block, and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) had jointly given the call for the protests. Several other parties and organizations such as Student Federation of India (SFI), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), All India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA) also participated in the protest.
The leaders of the SFI, DYFI and AIDWA started an indefinite sit-in at Shyam Bazar after the police did not allow them to move to RG Kar.
Leaders of the left parties told the media that Mamta Baneerjee, West Bengal’s chief minister, was guilty of trying to shield the person accused in the case by using her power. They demanded that she must resign from her post so that a free and fair investigation can be done and justice is delivered.
Night Vigils continue
The left groups have been on the streets in all parts of the state ever since the RG Kar incident demanding justice and freedom of movement for women. They continue to organize night vigils to reclaim the public spaces for women at night and to raise awareness about women safety. These night vigils often see large participation of people. The venues often turn into sights of cultural performances by women.
#AmarGhorRgKar pic.twitter.com/JwmsyYD1Lz
— CPI(M) WEST BENGAL (@CPIM_WESTBENGAL) September 1, 2024
Rape and other forms of violence against women in India have been on rise in the last decade with over 31,500 cases of rape recorded in 2022 alone. Overall the law enforcement agencies in the country have completely failed to provide justice in most of these cases as the conviction rate for such crimes in India stands at as low as 27% as per the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) with most of the cases dragged for years.
With regards to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital crime which took place on August 9, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested one person related to the rape and murder of the junior doctor. Citing the autopsy report, the left leaders have claimed that the crime was not committed by one person and claimed that the government led by Mamta Baneerjee of the TrinaMool Congress (TMC) has tried to tamper with the evidence to save the culprits who are close to her party.
Meanwhile, thousands of junior doctors in the state also continue their indefinite strike demanding justice for the victim of RG Kar and better security at the workplaces. On Tuesday, they organized a human chain in support of their demands across Kolkata.
