Film director Aparna Sen and numerous other prominent personalities from the Bengali film industry on Sunday joined thousands of people in a massive rally demanding justice for a trainee doctor who was raped-murdered at RG Kar hospital here last month.
The participants at the Mahamicchil, including several prominent film personalities and right activists, squatted at the busy Esplanade area shouting slogans ‘Justice’ and ‘Halla Bol’ vowing to be there till early Monday morning, that is, whole night protest.
In addition to the ‘Mahamichhil’, two other rallies took place elsewhere in the city. While one was organised by the alumni of Ramakrishna Mission-run educational institutions, another involved students and past pupils from a well-known convent school, both echoing the demand for justice for the medic.
At the mega rally that kicked-off at College Square, Sen, accompanied by fellow artistes such as Swastika Mukherjee, Sudipta Chakraborty, Chaiti Ghosal, Sohini Sarkar, and others, marched along Central Avenue demanding justice for the postgraduate trainee doctor.
Accompanied by thousands of supporters, the rallyists occupied the Jawaharlal Nehru Road-S N Banerjee Road crossing and vowed to continue their protest until 4 am on Monday. They demanded that a representative from the ruling party or administration meet them to address their call for a swift investigation and the arrest of those involved.
Asked if they would remain there until 4 am, director Birsa Dasgupta told reporters, “We have sent a mail to the administration. We want someone to come and hold talks with us.”
Actor Swastika Mukherjee added, “We know the CBI is investigating the case, but reports suggest there might be attempts to suppress certain details following the doctor’s death. We need answers.”
She added, “We will remain here till 4 am. The administration might think that the movement will lose momentum with the upcoming festive season, but it will resume and grow larger after the Puja. We understand that small business owners might be affected by this movement, but they are with us.”
She continued, “So many days have passed since the August 9 incident. After the initial arrest, we have not received any further updates from the investigating agency. The hospital administration’s first attempt to dismiss the death as a suicide, combined with only one arrest, has compelled the people of this state to take to the streets. We have united in our demand for justice.”
Earlier at the start of the rally, Aparna Sen told reporters, "We are walking on the road together, demanding justice. If needed, I will hit the road again. Common people have the right to demand answers and know the truth."
A junior doctors' forum, which has been protesting since the R G Kar incident, also joined the rally.
In south Kolkata, alumni of Ramakrishna Mission schools and other educational institutions marched from Golpark to Rabindra Sadan Exide Crossing carrying banners with the message 'Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya (Lead me from darkness to light), and demanded a fair, impartial investigation and the arrest of all those involved in the crime.
In another rally, around 300 alumni, along with current students and guardians from St. John's Diocesan Girls' Higher Secondary School, walked from Minto Park to the school compound before forming a human chain near Exide Crossing along A J C Bose Road. They also displayed a symbolic image of a spine with the slogan "Our spines are not up for sale" at the rally.
Women members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) staged protests at various blocks, advocating for amendments in laws to ensure capital punishment for rapists.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been staging a sit-in at Dorina Crossing in Esplanade since August 29.
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