Saturday, 21 December 2024
Saturday, 21 December 2024
The tram lines of College Street are not new to protests. But on Wednesday night, the boi para of Calcutta witnessed a spontaneous protest, which brimmed with rage and fury.
Hundreds gathered, from students of the Calcutta University and the Presidency University to college professors, to ‘Reclaim the night’ against the systemic nonchalance for crimes against women.
University students led from the front, determined to make their voices heard. Many of these students told The Telegraph Online that they had never taken part in a protest before, but the horror of the incident and the need for action brought them together.
''This is not West Bengal but Waste Bengal," said Sushmita Dey, a former student of Calcutta University, to The Telegraph Online. "I don't think any justice would be served this time as well," said Dey. Her friends and family members accompanied her.
Rohit Srivastav, 24, who worked as a chef and is a friend of Dey expressed the need to continue the protests. “We have to stick to this point each and everyday and get justice for her,” said Srivastav.
The Telegraph Online met a teacher couple who had travelled all the way from the EM Bypass area. They were there not for themselves, but for their daughter..
''We were the students of CU & Presidency and now I am working as a zoology professor at Maulana Azad College, hence this protest is very close to us as we have a daughter and we are emotionally connected to our young students,'' said Dr. R. Ghosh.
"We are shocked that this incident happened in her workplace, which is such a reputed college of Kolkata. Our daughter studies in class 12 & she is equally shocked at the horrific crime. We couldn't sleep for 3-4 nights,'' added S. Sen Sharma, a schoolteacher and wife of Ghosh.
Even the rain couldn’t dampen the spirit of the protesters. The message from College Street was clear- It’s time for change.
