Participants in a Sunday rally demanding justice for the junior doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital decided to continue their protest with a sit-in on RR Avenue in Esplanade at least till 4am on Monday.
The protesters included some popular faces of Tollywood.
The citizens’ march started from College Square around 3pm and reached RR Avenue in Esplanade around 5.30pm, stalling traffic temporarily as it wound its way through College Street, Nirmal Chandra Street, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road and SN Banerjee Road.
The marchers sang, shouted slogans and painted the roads they passed through. They have been sitting at a site along RR Avenue since 6.30pm.
The call for the march was given by Amra Tilottama, a citizens’ group comprising people from various walks of life. Among the members are students, professionals and actors.
“We have sent a list of demands to the departments of health, women and child development, transport and education of the Bengal government. We want representatives of these departments to come and speak to us,” said Tuhina Chatterjee, a member of the organising committee of the rally.
“Till they reply, we will plan to continue with our agitation,” she said.
Another organiser said the sit-in would continue at least till 4am.
The protesters demanded, among other things, that the allegations of evidence tampering at RG Kar be investigated, all government departments be freed of syndicates, the government must ensure the safety of women and members of the marginalised gender, setting up of washrooms for women in public spaces, such washrooms be kept open at night and setting up of internal complaints committee at all institutions and offices.
In the rally were a young woman whose family expects her to call her brother or father to escort her home after 10pm and a mother who wants her daughter and all other women to be “free and independent”.
“If I am out of home after 10pm, my family expects me to call my father or brother so that they can pick me up on my way home and I don’t have to travel alone. But this is unacceptable to me as a woman. Why should I be dependent on someone?” said Sreyoshi Chakraborty.
Such apprehensions have aggravated in the aftermath of the RG Kar rape and murder, many said.
Kalpana Putatunda came because she wants women to be “free” and “independent”.
“Women should be free and independent, in true sense of the words. We should be able to go where we want to and when we want to and dress as we would like to. This intervention in our independence is a problem across the country,” said Kalpana.
Daughter Ishita, who takes a train from Baghajatin to Sealdah and then another to Birati, said the RG Kar incident has made her “scared to travel alone after 9pm”.
Citizens’ protest has a “strength” that resonates loud and far, said Delhi resident Radha Sen.
“I go to non-political protests when there is a wrong done. A protest does not mean there will be an outcome. ‘What am I doing’, is a question that makes me protest,” said the freelance translator.
Chants of “justice” rung loud in the march. Some of the slogans that could be heard were: “Aar kotodin somoy chai/Jabab dao CBI (How many more days do you need/ Give an answer, CBI)” and “Dariye dariye dekhley hobe/Ei michhile hattey hobe (How long can you sit back and watch/You have to walk in protest)”.
Actors Aparna Sen, Swastika Mukherjee, Ushasie Chakraborty, Debolina Dutta and Aparajita Auddy were among those who joined the rally.
“This is a march by common people and I am no different from them,” said
Aparajita.
“We have a woman chief minister and it is our demand and request to her that a message should not go out that one can get away after violating a woman,” she said.
