Like most Bengalis born in Kolkata I love my city of birth. It is a place I call home—a haven like Ma’s aachol (pallu), which makes me warm and fuzzy and safe.
Born in Kolkata, raised in Asansol, I moved back to Kolkata when I was 16 to complete my schooling, college, university and work life—so Kolkata is indeed my home. And, even after all these years of living in Melbourne when my plane nears Kolkata I have butterflies in my stomach—the excitement, anticipation of returning home is indescribable.
Like many women, I took public transport and taxis late into the night—2am—without worrying about my safety. But all that changed in a heartbeat earlier this month on 9 August when a young medical trainee was brutally raped and murdered at her workplace—a hospital nonetheless—when she was resting after a gruelling 36 hour shift.
The shock, horror and anger shook the nation to the core. The thought that someone could go through so much brutality at their workplace was unimaginable. On 14 August, a day before India’s Independence Day, thousands of people—including women, men and children—took to the streets of Kolkata, and parts of West Bengal and other parts of India at 11.59 pm to Reclaim the Night demanding justice.
This call resonated in Melbourne too, and nearly 200 people gathered at Fed Square to show solidarity. Organised by Reejuta Dey and Tilottama Guha, in two days, this gathering of community support was a testament of the community’s pent up anger and a call for justice.
Born and brought up in Kolkata, this rape-murder is very personal to Tilottama. She couldn’t believe that someone could be raped and murdered in her workplace, and that too a doctor. “Can’t get my head around it, how could it happen?” she asks disbelievingly. “I’m fighting for justice because I don’t want this abuse to be covered up by influential and powerful people. We need to make the culprits pay.”
Along with demanding justice for the victim, Reejuta hasn’t been able to sleep since the incident. Her sister is a trainee doctor who works nights and she’s been on the phone to her asking her to be vigilant. “It is so close to home; it could be me or anyone from my family. Each one of us have gone through sexual assault growing up and throughout I’ve been told to be careful when I go out, come back home early … so if not now, then when? Because why it is always us?”
For Suman Sengupta, father of a girl and one of the speakers at the vigil, he wants his hometown to be safe for the loved ones who still live in Kolkata. “As a father I am increasingly concerned about my daughter’s safety given the rise in violent crime.” He advocates for comprehensive education and enhanced security for those working late at night and stricter laws to ensure safer environments in homes, workplaces and public spaces.
While violence against women is not new this should end now! As a society we must raise our voices to stop normalising violence and start teaching respect from an early age. Along with the girls, boys should be taught about the good and bad touch and sex education made compulsory from an early age.
As we get ready to celebrate Durga Puja, let’s remind ourselves that along with worshipping the goddess, we should learn to accord the same respect to all the women. We need to change, society needs to change and it starts with us NOW!
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