RG Kar rape-murder anniv: Prolonged protests planned in Bengal from Aug 8

Kolkata, Aug 6 Starting from this weekend and continuing till the next, West Bengal is all set to be rocked again over protest movements by various groups on the first anniversary of the rape and murder of a woman junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata in August last year.

The body of the victim was recovered from a seminar hall within the hospital premises on the morning of August 9.

While the sole convict in the case, civic volunteer Sanjay Roy had already been sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court, even after a year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had been unable to complete its investigation on the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the crime.

Hence, while the movement last year was mainly targeted at the state administration in West Bengal and the ruling Trinamool Congress, this movement will have a larger perspective, also focussing on the alleged inability of the CBI to complete a fool-proof investigation in the matter.

The parents of the victim have given a 'Nabanna Abhijan (march to the state secretariat)' call on August 9 and appealed to all political parties to join in the procession, demanding justice for their daughter on her death anniversary.

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, who first floated the idea of involving the victim’s parents there, has extended full-fledged support to the protest march.

On Wednesday, Adhikari accused the West Bengal government of allegedly using its entire police administration to stop the protest march.

The BJP leader stated that a special police briefing has been convened on Wednesday evening, which almost all top IPS officers of West Bengal Police have been asked to attend.

Using his social media handle, LoP Adhikari, without mentioning Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's name, said she has gone to Jhargram to attend her events after deploying the police force to protect the state secretariat.

"Abhaya's parents, a year after the hellish episode that happened to their child, have called for a 'Nabanna Abhijan' to demand answers from the state's police and health minister for her failure over the incident. But out of that fear, the honourable person has already fled the city on the pretext of an administrative program in Jhargram!" LoP Adhikari alleged.

Sharing a copy of the police note for the briefing later in the day, the BJP leader said, "To protect her chair at the state secretariat, all the big police officers are meeting today at the police line in Shibpur, Howrah, to make arrangements for how to send the entire state police on the road!"

Besides the march to the state secretariat, several protest programmes have been announced by other pressure groups from August 8 to August 15 to observe the anniversary of the tragedy.

Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD), West Bengal, Medical Service Centre, Service Doctors affiliated to All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO), West Bengal Doctors’ Forum, and Association of Health Service Doctors, will organise multiple protest movements.

The convenor of JPD, Punyabrata, said that the state government had failed miserably in ensuring the safety and security of Bengal's daughters in hospitals and colleges.

“Even after the tragic incident at R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital a year ago, another rape took place in a law college in South Kolkata. This shows that there is a need to hit the streets once again to demand justice for our daughter and hold the government accountable,” Punyabrata added.

On August 8, the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum (WBJDF) will take out a torch rally from College Square to Shyambazar in north Kolkata at 9 P.M. and from midnight to 4 A.M. the next day, they will organise a sit-in at Shyambazar five-point crossing.

On August 9, JPD and Abhaya Mancha will tie rakhis in the morning to send the message of providing safety and security to the people. At 4 P.M., doctors will assemble at Hazra crossing to take out a march to Kalighat, near Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence.

At 6 P.M. on the same day, the WBHDF has given a call for a gathering at R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital.

On August 14, rallies and protest meetings will be organised by doctors and the common people. At midnight, another 'Reclaim the Night' event has been planned across Kolkata where the common man, including women of the household, will take to the streets to demand justice.

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