Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case: Meet The Woman Whose Facebook Post Ignited A Movement to Reclaim The Night

Rimjhim Sinha says she is overwhelmed by the response. Like millions across the country, the former sociology researcher from Kolkata’s Presidency University was shocked by the news of the gruesome rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. She then decided to organise a protest on August 14: The Night Is Ours. The aim was to show that while India got independence on the intervening night of August 14-15, women still don’t have true independence here. She posted her thoughts on Facebook that went viral. Many people have shared it on social media and a lot of women have expressed willingness to join the protest.

Speaking to News18, Rimjhim said, “I thought that on the night of Independence Day when the entire India celebrates its independence, I would celebrate my independence as a woman. I will call for every person who belongs to a marginalised gender community to come forth and celebrate their independence and hence I had given this call. And now it has reached far and beyond, and I am very overwhelmed by the entire response. I am seeing women coming out of their homes and even if they cannot stay for the entire night, they are making a decision to stay for two hours or three hours in the night.”

The semi-nude body of the woman PGT doctor, a second-year student in the chest medicine department, was found inside the seminar hall of the hospital on Friday. She was on duty on Thursday night, and her body bore multiple injury marks. The preliminary autopsy report indicated sexual abuse before her murder, leading her father to allege that she was raped and killed inside the hospital.

There were strikes and protests by junior doctors, trainees and medical students in various parts of the country on Tuesday, affecting healthcare services.

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered that the investigation should be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The HC rapped the West Bengal government and observed that protesting doctors were hurt and justified in expressing their emotions. Students of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital expressed that they were fine with the case being transferred to the CBI, but they wanted a judicial inquiry.

Rimjhim says she never thought she would get such a huge response. Now she plans to take this movement forward with a list of demands.

The state’s Trinamool Congress minister Udayan Guha’s comments on women participating in the protest have sparked outrage.

“Today women are participating in a huge movement. Whoever is going to the rally, if you’re beaten up by your husbands at home, do not call me,” Guha said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is demanding that Guha be sacked.

Touching upon the issue, Rimjhim said, “I believe we have all been part of a system which has always been there, a system established by the majority. So whenever there is something powerful enough to give a knock to that system and break its so-called norms and laws, and it has the power to challenge it, establish something new, more progressive, more in favour of the common people, there will be people who will try to malign it, and say that this is for a certain ideology or a certain party, etc. My stand is that I want every person who has belonged to a marginalised community to have their own stand, to live their independent lives, where they do not have to be subjected to oppression every single day.”