(Talk Diplomacy) The tragic death of a junior doctor at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata has ignited a wave of nationwide protests, exposing deep-seated issues of misogyny and violence against women in the South Asian nation. Found dead after a night shift, her body bore the horrific signs of (gang)rape and extreme brutality, sparking outrage not just among the medical community, but across India. The 31-year-old doctor was brutally raped and murdered at night on August 9, 2024 while taking a break from a long shift at the Provincial Government-run R G Kar Hospital in Kolkata.

This incident is a stark reminder of the pervasive danger women face, even in places meant to be safe havens, such as hospitals. The killing has galvanised doctors across India, leading to mass walkouts in major public hospitals as they demand better protection and a safer working environment. The problem of violence against doctors is not new; as a similar incident in New Delhi in July 2024 saw doctors striking after a mob assaulted a hospital, enraged by the death of a patient.

This time, the protests have been met with both solidarity and violence. Thousands of women took to the streets in Kolkata and other major cities on August 14-15 night, while elsewhere, a mob attacked protesting doctors at the very hospital where the murder occurred. The situation escalated to the point where the Kolkata Police Chief had to deny allegations of a coverup, even as the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) due to the intense public pressure.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi acknowledged the growing discontent during an Independence Day event at the historic Red Fort on August 15 (2024), calling for serious reflection on the atrocities against women. However, the fight for justice continues, as doctors and citizens alike demand accountability and systemic change.

Criminalisation Of Politics In West Bengal
Leaders of Opposition political outfits have claimed that Mamata Banerjee, since becoming the Chief Minister of eastern Indian Province of West Bengal in 2011, has encouraged a nexus between the corrupt politicians, criminals and the Police ! It may be noted that a number of her (former) Cabinet Ministers and party leaders are behind bars for their alleged involvement in various crimes. In the past 13 years, a number of women have been raped and murdered in different parts of the province, including Kamduni, Bogtui and the provincial capital of Kolkata. However, the situation has gone out of control of Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress Party-led Provincial Government as members of the Civil Society have taken to the streets, demanding justice.

Read: Reclaim The Night: The Awakening Of Consciousness

The Chief Minister has made a desperate attempt to coverup the nexus between her party leaders and criminals by blaming the parties in Opposition for the failure in maintaining the law-and-order situation. However, Banerjee has failed to convince the common people, especially the educated middle-class, in West Bengal with her blame-game politics. Instead, the peaceful ‘Reclaim the Night’ protest marches by women on August 14-15 night in Kolkata and other major Indian cities have reflected public anger at 31-year-old’s killing and the Banerjee Administration’s failure to address the daily struggles faced by women.

Distrust with the Police investigation was mounting in West Bengal, after the hospital authorities initially told the parents of the victim that their daughter had committed suicide! “What’s clear from this is that the hospital staff, along with the Police, wanted to cover up the real culprits,” said Dr Nazrul Islam, the former Director-General of Police in West Bengal. Meanwhile, the call for women to come out emerged from the anger expressed on social media, and quickly created the largest protest movement West Bengal has seen after a long time.

The Guardian reported that as “the marchers made their way past homes, gated communities and apartment blocks, many inside rushed out to join the throng, undeterred by the rain” in Kolkata. The chants were about justice, safety and respect. Anupama Chakraborty, who came out with her two granddaughters (aged 11 and 13), told The Telegraph: “This has rocked the country. The girl who was brutalised was an on-duty doctor. If the Government cannot ensure the safety of women at a Government-run institution, what hope is there?”

US, Europe Join ‘Reclaim The Night’ Protests!
People in the US, the UK and other European countries also joined Reclaim The Night protests called by women in West Bengal on August 14. In Atlanta, London, Paris, Amsterdam and other parts of the globe, people joined protest rallies with posters written ‘Girls reclaim the night‘, ‘The night is ours‘ and ‘Justice for RG Kar‘ on them. With this, the nationwide protests in India have turned into a global one.

In 2022, an average of 86 rapes were reported in India every day. Ever since the savage gang-rape and death of a young woman in 2012 on a bus in New Delhi, Indians have wearied of an all-too-familiar cycle: rape, outrage, promises of change, return to normal, reported The Guardian.

With inputs from Talk Diplomacy and The Guardian.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das