R.G. Kar hospital rape-murder case: What Kolkata is witnessing is its biggest mass movement post-Independence

Mass movement in Kolkata post-Independence for justice in rape-murder case at R.G. Kar Hospital transcends political boundaries.

Whatever the legal and political outcome in the rape-murder of an on-duty doctor at the R.G. Kar Hospital, the public response to the incident is being seen as the biggest mass movement Kolkata has witnessed post-Independence, with only a couple of outcries that still remain in people’s memory, one of them being when the tram fare was raised by one paisa.

Kolkata doctor rape and murder case: A timeline of events

But while the other memorable displays of public anger — tram burning in 1953 over hike in fare, food movement in 1959, and more recently protests against the Nandigram firing, in 2007 — had political parties involved some way or the other, the movement for justice in the R.G. Kar Hospital case belongs to the common people of Kolkata: the masses.

“This is undoubtedly the first mass agitation in Bengal after independence. The movement grew organically and it is possible that even some Trinamool Congress women are participating in it. It is independent of political ideologies and has evolved into a call for conscience, something that is lacking today. Because of this, it is receiving support from people across the world,” said acclaimed documentary-maker Mahadeb Shi, himself a regular participant in protests, the ones for saving the iconic Kolkata tram.

“In fact, the current movement may be compared to the 1953 tram fare protest, which was pivotal in Kolkata’s history, reflecting the city’s political and social tensions in the post-independence era. There are many common factors that sparked the initiation of both movements. In both instances, students played a key role, which added to the energy and idealism; also, at the moment, Kolkata is facing the same economic decline and rising unemployment as it saw in 1950s,” Mr. Shi told The Hindu.

So widespread has been the public outcry in the rape-murder case that even Salt Lake City, a self-contained township that usually remains insulated from the noise of protests, became an integral part of it right from the beginning. In fact, the neighbourhood is presently serving as the epicentre of the movement because the Health Department, where young doctors are staging a sit-in in spite of the rains, is located there.

Kolkata doctor rape and murder case: The complete coverage