RG Kar victim’s father had, reportedly, urged people not to use her daughter’s name to gain any undue advantage. The victim’s mother asserted that they do not support politics.
Yet, their daughter’s name is being used by many for their own sake.
The ‘urge’ and ‘assertion’ of the victim’s parents seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
Although the nationwide protests seeking justice for the victim, thereby demanding favourable working conditions for doctors, have been relaxed on the apex court’s request, politics around this has given a new spin to the story.
There have been a surge of posts on social media platforms mentioning what happened in Kolkata’s state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on the night of August 8 and the events that followed.
And now when the country-wide outrage against the incident has ceased to make headlines, political parties, at least in West Bengal, are trying to turn the incident in their favour.
About after 19 days after the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar hospital, it appears that more than the probe the focus has been on the tussle between the ruling Trinamool Congress — Left-front is also doing their bit — and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
As existing problems started to escalate from Tuesday since a march was called by the protesters, who planned to head to the State Secretariat to seek justice, the developments of the day compels one to think that how a demand for justice turns into a show of politics.
What began as a call for justice soon turned violent, with clashes breaking out in several parts of the state.
Police lathi charged and shelled teargas and water cannons as protesters reportedly breached barricades and pelted stones.
It has been learnt that doctors themselves were absent from Tuesday’s march, as they had declared on Monday, but, unequivocally, they must have been watching the havoc wreaked on the streets of Bengal.
Police’s action to stop the protesters from reaching the State Secretariat gave the BJP state leadership the reason to call for a 12-hour strike today.
But, most people observing the condition in Bengal must have felt that the focus is shifting from the real issue.
The incident of brutal rape-murder of a young doctor at her workplace is being ‘hijacked’ by political leaders.
One wonders if they ever cared about granting justice to the innocents earlier, as much as they are concerned now.
On the other hand, the BJP’s bandh called on August 28 coincides with the foundation of Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (student wing of the TMC).
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to X to declare that the day is being dedicated to the RG Kar victim.
“Today I dedicate Trinamool Chhatra Parishad Foundation Day to our sister, whom we mourn the tragic loss of at RG Kar Hospital a few days ago,” CM Banerjee posted on X in Bengali.
“And our heartfelt condolences to the family of the sister who was brutally tortured to death and we are seeking speedy justice for her, and as well as to all the women of all ages across India who have been subjected to such inhumane acts. We are deeply sad,” she added.
More than the urge to dedicate a day to the victim, proactiveness should have been shown to bring the culprits to justice.
Amid allegations that the protests in Bengal are politically motivated, the developments suggest that the political parties of the state did use the issue to fuel their own interests.
In a democratic society, protests serve as a powerful instrument which play a pivotal role in reshaping public opinion, driving social and political change.
The doctor’s protest, which stemmed from the RG Kar incident, did bear the fruits of ‘change’ when the Supreme Court noted that ‘the nation cannot wait for another rape for the situations to change on ground’.
However, the manner in which political parties of Bengal are trying to materialise the issue, it hints on their selfish interests.
Unfortunately, instead of coming together to achieve the larger goal — in this case, justice for the RG Kar victim — they are putting up a show of violence, opportunism, thereby turning the fear of the RG Kar victim’s parents into reality.
Today’s protest marks the beginning of a series of agitations called by the Bengal BJP which is to continue till September 4.
Additionally, Bengal’s chief minister, too, has assured of launching a movement from Saturday at the state’s grassroots to create pressure on the Centre to pass legislation for capital punishment of convicted rapists.
One can only hope that amid these series of protests and movements, the fight to provide justice to the RG Kar victim bears fruitful outcome at the earliest.
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