Torches, National Anthem: Another ‘Reclaim The Night’ Protest In Kolkata Over Doctor’s Rape-Murder

Slogans demanding justice for the RG Kar rape-murder victim reverberated the air at the stroke of midnight on Sunday across Kolkata and many other cities and towns in West Bengal.

Protesters, both women and men, young and old took to the streets, forming human chains, writing graffiti on the roads, holding burning torches and singing the national anthem as many waved the tricolour, the only flag allowed in the apolitical rallies across the state by the civil society, to register their protest against the murder of the young doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital a month ago on August 9.

With the Supreme Court scheduled to hear the suo motu case related to the crime on Monday, many participants in the third instance of ‘Reclaim the night’ in the state said they were confident that justice will be provided by the top court.

While some named the victim doctor ‘Tilottama’, many others referred to her as ‘Abhaya’, but all were together in their quest for justice for her.

Every corner of Kolkata was rife with protests over the August 9 incident, as participants lit their mobile phone flash lights, with many wearing black outfits.

In an unprecedented show of solidarity and a singular demand for justice, members of the civil society came out on the streets in thousands in numerous places in Kolkata and its suburbs, and in cities such as Siliguri, Durgapur and Kharagpur, as also in the district towns of Balurghat, Purulia, Cooch Behar, and other small towns and hamlets.

A human chain spanning nearly 14 km was formed from Shyambazar in north Kolkata to Sodepur in the suburbs.

People from all walks of life, from students and teachers, white collar job holders such as IT professionals to rickshaw pullers joined the chorus for justice.

Supporters of archrivals East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting, who came together on the day a derby match between the first two clubs was cancelled on August 18 with the police administration apprehending protests at the Salt Lake stadium venue over the rape-murder of the doctor, were on the streets in Kolkata, saying “our only demand is justice for R G Kar victim”.

With Durga Puja, the biggest festival of West Bengal, less than a month away, many referred to her as the daughter of the Goddess, believed to be the incarnation of ‘Shakti’ (power).

The song ‘We shall overcome’ and its Hindi and Bengali translations ‘Hum honge kamyab‘ and ‘Amra korbo joy‘ respectively, were sung at different places in the metropolis, from Garia and Jadavpur in the south to Shyambazar near R G Kar Hospital in the north.

Demanding the arrest of all culprits in the case, the mother of the post-graduate trainee said she had one child and now all the protesting medics are her children.

During the day, around 4,000 former students of over 40 schools, a large number of them women, walked a distance of two kilometres in south Kolkata along Rash Behari Avenue demanding justice for the victim.

In another rally from the potters’ hub of Kumartuli in north Kolkata, clay modellers took out a procession along Rabindra Sarani to Shyambazar five-point crossing, with a girl dressed as Goddess Durga leading the procession.

Singing Arijit Sing’s song ‘Aar kabe‘ (how long) in solidarity with sexually violated women, the protesters held aloft placards demanding speedy investigation and justice in the R G Kar rape-murder incident.

Sculptor Sanatan Dinda and singer Lagnajita were also part of the procession.

Around 100 people with their hand-pulled rickshaws also rallied from Hedua Park to College Square in north Kolkata.

“We demand justice for Abhaya – who is our daughter,” said Rameshwar Shaw, a rickshaw puller who is originally from Darbhanga in Bihar.

Hundreds of junior doctors of state-run NRS Hospital took out a rally from Sealdah to Esplanade in the heart of the city.

The parents of the murdered doctor were present at the spot in Esplanade where the rally culminated.

The victim’s mother said, “Whenever I think about the torment, the pain experienced by my daughter on that night, I shudder. She had dreams to serve the society, Now, all these protesters are my children.” Hundreds of junior doctors of R G Kar Hospital — the epicentre of the movement since August 10 — formed a human chain at 5 pm and sang the national anthem holding the tri-colour.

At Hazra crossing not far away from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence in south Kolkata, several members of the Bengali entertainment industry sat on a dharna demanding justice for the medic.

After the success of the first such gathering on August 14, the second edition of “Reclaim the night” was organised on September 4.