Friday, 20 September 2024
Friday, 20 September 2024
Orey Halla Rajar sena, tora juddho kore korbi ki ta bol. O soldiers of Halla’s king, what will you achieve with your war.
Hundreds of voices, young and old, sang the iconic song from the iconic movie in the middle of what is usually one of Calcutta’s busiest intersections as Presidency students and alumni united on Friday in protest against the brutal rape and murder of the trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital.
Like the storied history of Presidency College – now University -- the protest was a smorgasbord of flavours – from theatre to music to banners to slogans.
Recent graduate Debopriya Adhikari, from the batch of 2019, brought her art to the streets as part of the 'Priyonath Manna Basti Canteen Art Collective.'
"We've been performing 'Amader Chitkar,' a social presentation to voice our protests," she said. "Today, we brought it to Presidency, and it felt like coming full circle."
The performance was not just an act of defiance but an expression of grief, anger and the demand for change.
"Do not forget, do not forgive," said Srijit Mukherjee, filmmaker and Economics department alumnus. "I've attended many protests, but this one is special because Presidency has always stood for social justice; we always fought for what is right and against what is wrong and we shall not stop until justice is served”.
The rally began at the gates of Presidency and made its way to Shyambazar Metro gate number 1.
The march, attended by determined faces, both young and old, took almost two hours to cover the 3.5-kilometre distance. Protesters carried placards that screamed their demands: "Justice for RG Kar," "End the Silence," and "We Demand Accountability."
The rally wasn't just about numbers; it was about a shared history and collective memory.
"I can’t imagine this kind of brutality happening during our times, this did not even happen in the Naxalite period,” Dr Kanailal Ghatak, a student of the 1958 batch and also a professor of chemistry at Presidency, who is 82 and suffering from acute Parkinson’s, told The Telegraph Online over the phone.
He insisted his daughter Kasturi Ghatak, who is also an alumna of the University, attend the protest.
"Nobody did anything to women back then… We were all comrades." Dr.Ghatak added.
His voice was laced with sadness; it carried the weight of a generation that saw the city through some of its most turbulent times and expected better.
As the rally wound its way through the streets, it became clear that this was more than just a protest — it was a statement.
This march was not just for the doctor who lost her life but for every woman who has been silenced by fear, for every victim of violence, and for every citizen who demands justice.
