R.G. Kar hospital rape-murder case: voices of disquiet as systemic issues vie with justice at Kolkata stir

Protests over rape and murder of female doctor highlight male dominance in movement for women's safety.

The rape and murder of a 31-year-old female trainee doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) has, for the past 40 days, incited protests from doctors and several other sections of society, all of whom have been staunch in their demand for justice. But while the protests are primarily over women’s safety, it is male doctors who have ended up taking centre stage, say some female doctors.

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Many of them cite that on September 16, when a delegation of 42 doctors met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her residence to present their demands, the number of female doctors was in single digits, remaining underrepresented even in the midst of a movement stemming from the rape and murder of one of their own.

“Men are hogging the limelight, and the movement has become more about the rot in the medical system than women’s safety,” said Gauri Seth, a resident doctor from Medical College, Kolkata.

Expressing bafflement at the fact that even protest sites are not inclusive enough, Ms. Seth added: “One of the narratives is that Abhaya [the symbolic name given to the victim] died because she raised her voice against injustice. But now, men are taking away our voices and leading the movement. They have been playing saviour since Day 1, and we don’t need them protecting us from other men.”

Echoing Ms. Seth’s disappointment, a female MBBS graduate at city medical college told The Hindu that male doctors “with saviour complexes” have occupied the frontlines of the protests as well as leadership positions in Resident Doctors’ Associations across Kolkata. “We just need the men to listen and let us express what makes us feel unsafe in our workplace, as well as what we need as solutions,” she said.

“Nurses and female hospital workers face even more violence than the average female doctor, but they aren’t mentioned anywhere in the ongoing discourse,” added Radhikaa Sharma, a postgraduate trainee doctor.