Independence Day sees revival of Bengal’s revolutionary spirit, thanks to its women

Massive protests in Kolkata over rape-murder spark revolutionary spirit, uniting generations in a powerful display of solidarity.

The massive protests in Kolkata in the small hours of Independence Day over the RG Kar Hospital rape-murder are being seen by many as a revival of the old spirit of revolutionary Bengal, where people — in this case women — cutting across economic and social status but unified by a cause hit the streets in anger.

Many elderly people who have had a ringside view of the post-Independence history of Kolkata — a city long accustomed to rallies and protest marches — say they have never quite seen something like what happened on the night of August 14, when tens of thousands of women (and also men) stepped out of their homes to raise their voice against the rape-murder of an on-duty doctor at the R.G. Kar Hospital on August 9.

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The power of the common people, magnified by countless videos of the protests circulating on social media, so rattled the West Bengal government that it issued circulars on August 15 asking all employees, including teachers, to compulsorily report for work the following day just because a Leftist organisation called for a 12-hour bandh on that day.

“I have never witnessed anything so spectacular in my life when the streets teemed with bright candlelight. I was glad to see three generations of women stepping out of their houses in solidarity with the young victim of a gruesome incident. This leaves an important mark in the city’s history,” said Arabinda Dasgupta, a septuagenarian who runs Kolkata’s oldest existing bookshop, Dasgupta & Co.

Renowned writer Amar Mitra, also in his seventies, stepped out with his family at midnight to join the young protesters. “Kolkata is famous for rallies. It is known as michil nagari — or city of processions. But what happened on the night of August 14 was different from everything else; it was called and planned by the common people, by the young generation,” he said.

According to him, social media played a major role in adding to the enormity of the protests, which was not the case earlier. “It was heartwarming to see the young generation speak up, ‘We want justice!’” said the celebrated writer, who has himself been highly vocal on social media on the matter.