Protests held in India over rape and murder of doctor

Tens of thousands of women took to the streets across India on Wednesday night in protest over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a prominent state-run hospital in West Bengal.

- ALISHA RAHAMAN SARKAR

The largest of the protests took place in Kolkata itself, where women armed with placards, candles and the Indian national flag ushered in the country’s 78th Independence Day at midnight by demanding justice for the killing of the 31-year-old female resident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The doctor cannot be named due to India’s laws protecting the identity of rape victims, even in death. Her partially naked body was discovered by students last Friday morning, with an autopsy later confirming she had been sexually assaulted.

Women at the “Reclaim the Night” protest told The Independent that they wanted swift justice for the victim – some are calling for the perpetrator or perpetrators to be given the death penalty – but also a wider reckoning on violence against women and the safety of doctors in the country.

Riya Banerjee, a 22-year-old student, said she had walked more than 5km to take part in the protest after roads became impassable for traffic, as it was “important for everyone to step out of their comfort [zone] and raise their voices”. “We want justice for [the victim],” she said. “We want to reclaim public space. Why should we live in fear of being abused by men?”

The doctor’s murder has dominated the national political conversation in India this week, triggering a nationwide doctors’ strike and similar protests on Wednesday night in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and even New York.

Prime minister Narendra Modi addressed the matter in his Independence Day address yesterday, calling for stricter punishments for crimes against women. “As a society, we have to think about the atrocities being committed against our mothers, daughters and sisters. There is outrage against this in the country. I can feel this outrage,” he said.