Kolkata Doctor's Rape & Murder: Protesting Women to Take Over Roads on I-Day Eve, Question 'Freedom'

A former sociology researcher from Kolkata’s Presidency University, Rimjhim Sinha was repulsed by the news of the gruesome rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. She then decided to sit on a protest on August 14. The aim was to show that while India got independence on the intervening night of August 14-15, women still don’t have true independence here. She posted her thoughts on Facebook that went viral. Many people have shared it on social media and a lot of women have expressed willingness to join the protest.

The semi-nude body of the woman PGT doctor, a second-year student in the chest medicine department, was found inside the seminar hall of the hospital on Friday. She was on duty on Thursday night, and her body bore multiple injury marks. The preliminary autopsy report indicated sexual abuse before her murder, leading her father to allege that she was raped and murdered inside the hospital.

There were strikes and protests by junior doctors, trainees and medical students in various parts of the country on Tuesday, affecting healthcare services.

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered that the investigation should be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The HC rapped the West Bengal government and observed that protesting doctors were hurt and justified in expressing their emotions. Students of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital expressed that they were fine with the case being transferred to the CBI, but they wanted a judicial inquiry.

Speaking to News18 Rimjhim said, “ When I heard of the incident at RG Kar, I felt very insecure. I was frightened to think how safe are we in this city. If an on-duty lady doctor can be compelled to face such brutal injuries and death, how safe can all of us women accessing the city be? August 15 is celebrated as our Independence Day, so I had thought that I would do a sit-in then, seeking constructive and structural changes in the prevailing system. Why shouldn’t women have the right to go out at night? Why will our characters be questioned every time? We will reclaim the nights, starting August 15 midnight.”

Rimjhim says she never thought she would get such a huge response. Now she plans to take this movement forward with a list of demands:

1. Immediate justice for the victim.
2. Immediate inclusion of Gender Equality as a compulsory topic in school curriculum.
3. Secure all-night transport system for working women and other marginalised gender communities.
4. Assignment of secure restrooms for all professionals on night duties.

Senior journalist Aditi Roy also put out a social media post on the heinous crime and received a fervid response. “Whenever such a crime happens then the victim is always questioned. Why was she roaming around? Why did she wear this? Should we sit at home? Why can’t we go out at night? Night is for men only?

Are we really independent? Why do mothers say that don’t go out at night to girls, not boys? All these questions were in our heads. So, we thought we would go out the intervening night of August 14-15 and roam about, and question our freedom. We got a huge response. This is a start but we have to carry out such a protest,” Roy told News18.

Several celebrities, intellectuals, homemakers, and other women are expected to join the protests.