Edited by maklukpenggoda at 16-8-2024 07:59 AM
“Women have no respect!” said another. “Our worth is less than cows and goats."
Tens of thousands of women in West Bengal state marched through the streets on Wednesday night in protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata last week.
The Reclaim the Night march was the culmination of nearly a week of frenzied protests ignited by the brutal killing of the 31-year-old at the RG Kar Medical College last Friday.
After a gruelling 36-hour shift, she had fallen asleep in a seminar room due to the lack of a designated rest area.
The next morning, her colleagues discovered her half-naked body on the podium, bearing extensive injuries. A hospital volunteer worker has been arrested in connection with the crime.
Smaller protests were also held in many other Indian cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune.
At the stroke of midnight, as India completed 77 years of Independence, the soundscape of protest changed.
The air filled with a spontaneous chorus of the national anthem. Then it began raining, but the protesters walked in the rain, or holding umbrellas over their head.
“We have never seen anything like this before in the city, such a huge gathering of women marching at night,” a reporter belonging to a news network said.
It was a night of barely concealed rage and frustration.
A woman, who joined the march well after midnight with her 13-year-old daughter said: “Let her see whether a mass protest can set things right. Let her become aware of her rights”.
"When do we get our independence? How long do we have to wait to work without fear? Another 50 years?” asked a student.
The protests have been fuelled by anger over local authorities’ handling of the young trainee doctor's rape and murder.
Police later arrested a hospital volunteer worker in connection with what they said was a case of rape and murder.
But there have been accusations of cover-up and negligence. The case has since been transferred from local police to the federal Central Bureau of Investigation.
BBC
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