The Kolkata rape and murder case has left not just the Indian medical community but even the general public in an absolute state of shock. On Friday, 9th August, a semi-nude body of an on-duty female post-graduate trainee (PGT) was found inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the city of Kolkata. The deceased doctor is said to have been a second-year student at the chest medicine department. The initial autopsy indicated that she was sexually assaulted first and then murdered.
Due to this, all hospital doctors except those working in the emergency ward stopped working. Several student associations and PGT doctors of that hospital have been rallying in front of the hospital, demanding justice and immediate action against the culprit. In place of this, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has vowed to seek capital punishment for the perpetrator.
All of these details seem so matter-of-fact that people overlook the real impact of this horrific incident. A doctor was sexually assaulted and murdered in her own workspace: a place where she was supposed to be protected and, at the very least, a place where she was supposed to feel safe.
We keep hearing about rape cases across the country - whether they happen late at night or in broad daylight. And some oblivious, insensible people justify the horror of this crime by saying, "She was inappropriately dressed" or "She shouldn't have left her home so late at night."
But what is a woman to do if the same horrors she faces on the streets happen to her in her own workspace? What is a woman to do if she has no choice but to work at night? What is a woman to do if she cannot feel safe anywhere anymore? What are women as a whole supposed to do for the world to be kinder to them?
This sickening and devastating incident makes one question: if a woman isn't safe in her own workspace, isn't secure in a public transport bus, or even safe in her own home - then where at all is she safe?
It's agonizing how the West Bengal government reappointed the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as the principal of another top medical institute after he resigned from the former. The Calcutta High Court reprimanded the West Bengal Government and issued a statement saying, "He should sit at home." The statement also revealed that the principal had indulged in victim blaming and tried to cover this whole thing up by calling her death a case of suicide and then resigning.
The police have made an arrest now. Sanjoy Roy, a 33-year-old civic volunteer. The police connected him to the case through other PGT doctors, who confirmed it was him through CCTV footage from other areas of the hospital. The police also found a torn part of a Bluetooth earphone, which eventually led to the culprit. Police officers also claimed that the arrested/accused had given different statements during the grilling. On Saturday, the Sealdah court sent the accused to 14 days of judicial custody and charged him under Sections 64 (rape) and 103 (murder).
The entirety of the country, especially the medical community, is engulfed in both anger and sorrow after this horrific crime. Although an arrest has been made, the profound impact of this tragedy lingers, reminding us that true healing requires a commitment to ensure such horrors are never repeated.
As we confront this deep pain, we must ask ourselves: What future are we shaping for our children, and what lessons are we teaching them about justice and humanity? What example are we setting for our generations to come as to our treatment of women in our nation that prides itself on being a country that worships its women?
The path we choose in the wake of this tragedy will echo through generations, shaping the legacy we leave behind for our children to inherit.
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