Rage for some, grief for some, concern for others. Myriads of emotions played in the minds of the tens of thousands on the streets of Calcutta throughout the night leading to Independence Day.

Metro spoke to many to have a sense of what was going on inside them.

Why am I here?

To protest was her duty, said Sushmita Mukherjee, 63, who came to the Academy of Fine Arts.

“As a woman, I have to come because if we don’t protest, incidents like these will only increase,” said the Bhowanipore resident.

Mukherjee was accompanied by her daughter Reshmi, a researcher.

“I have come here to welcome the night. Women are always told that they should not venture out at night and must come home by a certain time. Such restrictions are for women and not
men. What we need is gender sensitisation,” said Reshmi.

Bitikha Ghosh, 40, came to stand by doctors, who have stood by her.

“My son has a rare disease and we are dependent on doctors for his treatment. If he is alive it is because of doctors and, if doctors are under threat, what would common people like us do without them,” said Ghosh.

Film director Nandita Roy silently stood at the Academy of Fine Arts.

“I am here because my heart is full of remorse because we could not protect one of our own.... I want freedom for all women. On the eve of August 15, I demand freedom for all women.... Men and women have equal rights. Men are not scared, so why should women be scared?” she asked.

Why am I angry?

Srabani Chakraborty, 54, the headmistress of a school in Madhyamgram, was walking through Raja Subodh Chandra Mallick Road in Jadavpur, unfazed
by the nagging rain, with tens of thousands of marchers.

Chakraborty lives in Selimpur. “I have grown up here. Back in the day, I would not feel scared to return home alone late at night. Not any more. That is why I am angry,” said Chakraborty.

A 31-year-old working with an MNC was at the Academy of Fine Arts, “in rage”.

“I am angry because we don’t deserve this. We talk of equality of women but that is a far reality,” said Sreya Dutt, who came from Hazra. “There has to be a fear of punishment, which is not there,” she said.

A student at Bethune College, Vaishali Bhattacharya, said she was angry because the rape and murder happened in a government building.

Sagarika Halder, 37, who came to a gathering at Behala Sakherbazar, said she would not live in fear at any cost. “I know some animal or animals might be lurking in the dark, waiting for a chance. But I will not be scared and stop going out,” said Halder, who works in a nationalised bank.

Tread with caution

Shreya Roy, who works for an education non-profit, was a staunch supporter of student-led movements. But she was worried as well.

“We have seen multiple student-led movements. But after an initial success comes a systemic backlash. The backlash is so strong that it impairs the movement,” said Roy, who came to the Jadavpur gathering with her mother and a friend.

Shreya has done her graduation and master’s in English from Jadavpur University.

“These movements get co-opted by political and communal forces. We should ensure that the same does not happen this time,” Roy said as she walked past her alma mater.

Koninika Ghosh, who attended a gathering in Gariahat, also spoke of “vested interests trying to infiltrate the movement”.

“Nothing is apolitical. This movement is not apolitical. All of us have our own politics. But we have to be careful of people with vested political interests,” said Ghosh, a freelance content writer.