Yesterday thousands of diaspora Indians took to the streets in over 130 cities spanning 25 countries, organisers reported, to demand justice following the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a hospital in Kolkata.
The demonstrations kicked off in various groups across Japan, Australia, Taiwan, and Singapore before extending to cities in Europe and the U.S. These protests added to the ongoing nationwide demonstrations in India that emerged after the tragic incident on August 9 involving the 31-year-old postgraduate student of chest medicine. A suspect, along with the former principal of R.G. Kar Medical College where the victim was enrolled, has been apprehended.
Dipti Jain, one of the organizers of the global protests, remarked, “The news of this horrific crime against a young trainee doctor while on duty left us all stunned by the sheer ruthlessness, brutality, and lack of regard for human life.”
The doctor, who had no dorms or resting rooms, had resorted to sleeping on a piece of carpet in a seminar room after a grueling 36-hour shift. A doctor’s inquest report obtained by Reuters revealed that she was discovered later with severe injuries, including bleeding from her eyes and mouth, along with wounds to various parts of her body.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, hundreds of protesters gathered to demand accountability for the crime and increased safety measures for Indian women. In Dublin, California, demonstrators formed a human chain, brandishing placards with messages like “We demand justice” and “Shout it loud, shout it far, justice for R.G. Kar.”
Protesters of all ages, from children to seniors, engaged in reciting poems and participating in street theater to amplify their calls for justice. Sukalpa Chowdhury, a 39-year-old physician participating in the protests, emphasized the importance of workplace safety for everyone, particularly for future generations attending similar institutions.
In Stockholm, Sweden, a group of predominantly black-clad women congregated in Sergels Torg square, singing Bengali songs and displaying signs. Despite the implementation of stricter laws post the 2012 Delhi bus gang rape and murder, activists argue that the Kolkata incident underscores the ongoing plight of women facing sexual violence.
Although tougher laws were introduced after the 2012 gruesome gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi, activists say the Kolkata case shows how women continue to suffer from sexual violence.
While India’s federal police are conducting investigations into the crime, charges are yet to be filed. The country’s Supreme Court has recently established a hospital safety task force to propose measures ensuring the safety of medical professionals.
Source: Reuters — Agencies
