On Thursday, August 14, the eve of India’s 78th independence day, thousands of women rallied to reclaim public space at night. The call for the night vigil was given by the left organizations demanding justice for the doctor raped and killed while on duty in a public hospital in Kolkata last week.
Thousands of people, mostly women, gathered at numerous protest sites in the country’s major cities at around midnight and shouted slogans in support of women’s right to freedom of movement and against the failure of the state to protect that freedom. At some places protesters organized torchlight processions and carried out cultural programs to register their rage over increasing incidents of femicide.
The central leaders of All India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Student Federation of India (SFI), National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) and several others groups participated in the vigil at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and other places.
National Solidarity–Thousands across India reclaim the night on the eve of Independence Day!
In the national capital, AIDWA General Secretary Mariam Dhawale and comrade S Punyavati, student leader Aishe Ghosh, NFIW General Secretary Annie Raja, among hundreds of others were at… pic.twitter.com/trsq5H8sGh— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) August 14, 2024
Similar vigils were observed in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and several other major cities across the country. There were reports of solidarity vigil at different locations across the world as well such as in New York. The vigil was also joined by a large number of medical staff who have been agitating for justice for the victim of RG Kar hospital and raising the demand for better security at the workplaces.
In West Bengal, vigils were organized in all major cities. Apart from the gathering at the at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata ,where thousands marched seeking justice for the female doctor who was raped and murdered inside the premises while on duty, there were vigils at different other parts of the city including at Jadavpur.
आर जी कर मेडिकल कॉलेज और अस्पताल से विशाल मशाल जुलूस का राष्ट्रीय झंडे के साथ नेतृत्व करते हुए सोनामनी टुडू।
# DYFI SFI AIDWA pic.twitter.com/lbpQGJau00— सीपीआई(एम) पश्चिम बंगाल (@CPIMWestBengal) August 14, 2024
Meanwhile, there were reports of a large mob attacking the protesters at the MG Kar hospital while the vigil was taking place. According to witnesses, security forces made no efforts to stop the mob as they were members or supporters of the ruling party. There were also allegations made by the medical staff at the RG Kar Hospital and others about the West Bengal government trying to destroy the evidence in the case. Similar allegations have been made by the left parties as well.
#RGKarMedicalCollegeHospital WAS TARGETED BY GOONS AS PROTESTS AGAINST THE DOCTOR RAPE-MURDER TAKE OVER KOLKATA
The emergency ward at RG Kar Hospital was vandalised. They broke barricades and manhandled the protesting doctors, damaging hospital property at the emergency building pic.twitter.com/O1A2IFpWAq
— Shinjinee Majumder (@shinjineemjmdr) August 14, 2024
Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and AIDWA leader demanded that the investigative agencies should take a comprehensive approach while investigating the case of violence against women. She accused that the state government led by Mamta Baneerjee of the TrinaMool Congress (TMC) was trying to cover up the entire incident and shield the perpetrators of the crime.
Subhasini Ali, former AIDWA leader, questioned the growing practice of providing protection to the perpetrators of the crime against women in the country, raising concerns of women security. Talking to a news agency on the issue she pointed out how both the federal and state governments have repeatedly shielded sex offenders which encourages criminals and puts a big question mark on women’s security in the country.
Two state governments led by the Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is also leading the federal government in India recently released two religious leaders accused of gender-based violence on parole. Both of the godmen have been convicted for crimes such as rape and murder of their female disciples and considered close to the BJP. Brij Bhusan Sharan Singh, accused of sexually harassing women athletes has also allegedly been shielded by the BJP government.