Wednesday, 20 November 2024
Wednesday, 20 November 2024
A clamour for justice enveloped the busy Shyambazar 5-point crossing as the clock struck midnight. The war cry of the protesters, who numbered in hundreds to reclaim the night, submerged the usual cacophony of the traffic snarls of buses and cars that are common to Shyambazar.
The recent rape and murder of the trainee doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital brought citizens from across the city to the heart of North Calcutta.
''Who will take guarantee that this kind of situation will not happen to me? When I am going for my tuition or school,'' asked a class 10 student, Falguni Pal to The Telegraph Online. ''What's the point of living in a country which is not safe for women?''
''I will never vote for this government once I turn 18, Bengal is not safe for women, I am scared to move out of my house'' said 16 year old, Pal from the Duff High School, who was accompanied by her family in the protest.
Outraged protesters sang “We Shall Overcome”. A little ahead, slogans like "Kolkata police, Haye Haye" filled the air.
Anindita Patra, 32, a dietician by profession, had come to Shyambazar with her sister all the way from Taki, North 24 Parganas, about 70 kilometres away.
"R.G Kar is my birthplace, and I am a dietician myself. I cannot accept that medicine is not a safe profession for women,'' said a visibly agitated Patra to The Telegraph Online. ''My sister, who is accompanying me, is preparing for NEET UG. We are all here from Taki, to protest for the cause. Neither this state has jobs nor security, no wonder people are leaving Bengal''.
College students, senior citizens (some of whom leaned on walking sticks), and many men joined the protests at this key junction of North Calcutta.
Debjeet Deb, 45, a hawker from the nearby Hatibagan market, brought his family along to the protests. “Ami justice chai, doshi ke samne pele chire khey nebo” (I want justice, if I get the culprit infront of me, I am gonna tear him apart), an angry Deb told The Telegraph Online.
