In a tense escalation of public outrage, police in India’s eastern city of Kolkata fired teargas and used water cannons on Tuesday to disperse hundreds of protesters demanding the resignation of a top state minister. The protests were sparked by the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old female trainee doctor on August 9, an incident that has ignited nationwide fury reminiscent of the 2012 Delhi gang rape.
The protesters, led by university students, clashed with police as they attempted to march to the West Bengal state secretariat. Television footage showed them breaking through iron barricades, prompting a baton charge by police, who had earlier declared the protest illegal. The situation quickly escalated, with police using force to control the crowd, which had grown increasingly determined in its demand for justice and accountability.
The incident has brought back painful memories of India’s ongoing struggle with sexual violence against women. Despite the introduction of tougher laws following the 2012 gang rape, campaigners argue that the country continues to grapple with high levels of sexual violence, with women remaining vulnerable to such heinous crimes.
The police have arrested a volunteer in connection with the doctor’s murder, and the federal police have taken over the investigation. However, the arrest has done little to quell the anger among the public, particularly within the medical community. Junior doctors across India have launched protests, refusing to treat non-emergency patients as they demand justice for their slain colleague and call for greater safety measures for women in hospitals.
The unrest in Kolkata has drawn significant political attention. On Tuesday, more than 5,000 police officers were deployed in the city and the neighboring area of Howrah to manage the protests. The demonstration, initially led by university students, quickly garnered broader support, with calls for the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee becoming a focal point of the agitation.
Kunal Ghosh, a spokesperson for Banerjee’s ruling Trinamool Congress Party (TMC), attempted to shift the blame for the police crackdown onto workers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of creating “lawlessness.” The BJP, the main opposition party in the state, has thrown its support behind the protesting students. Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari accused Banerjee’s administration of trying to suppress the truth about the rape and murder, a charge that the state government has vehemently denied.
The situation in Kolkata is part of a broader wave of unrest across India, where junior doctors continue to protest, demanding not just justice for the victim but also systemic changes to ensure the safety of female healthcare workers. The Supreme Court of India has intervened, creating a hospital safety task force and urging the doctors to return to work. Despite this, many doctors, particularly in West Bengal, have refused to back down, highlighting the deep-seated frustration and fear among the medical community.
The protests have put immense pressure on the West Bengal government, which is already dealing with accusations of mishandling the situation. As the demands for justice grow louder, the government’s response will be closely watched, not only for its impact on the ongoing protests but also for its broader implications for women’s safety in India.
This incident has once again brought the issue of sexual violence to the forefront of national discourse, underlining the urgent need for effective measures to protect women and hold perpetrators accountable. The outcome of this case, and the government’s handling of the protests, could have lasting implications for the fight against gender-based violence in India.
