The Jadavpur 8B bus terminus and a stretch of Raja SC Mullick Road had turned into a sea of protesters as India inched towards its 78th Independence Day. Thousands had come from different parts of Calcutta to protest against the rape and murder of the trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Protest Rally from Jadavpur to Golpark crossing on Independence eve.
At the bus terminus, cries of “Azaadi” filled the air as the clock struck midnight.
Undeterred by the rain, thousands raised slogans like “Tomar Ghor, Amar Ghor… RG Kar RG Kar”(Your home, My home; RG Kar RG Kar); “Jo tum na dogey Azadi, hum chhinke lenge Azadi,”(if you don't give us freedom, we shall snatch it from you), reminiscing one of the protests in the city during Vietnam War and Nandigram incident and the JNU, Shaheen Bagh protests in Delhi, a few years ago.
Protesters at Jadavpur light candles on 14th August 2024.
Student protesters at Jadavpur fluttered flags with the face of Pritilata Waddedar, the firebrand woman who fought for Bengal's freedom, under the tutelage of Surya Sen.
Senior citizens Radha Roy, Rubi Biswas, and Kakoli Putatunda, who meet for morning walks, joined the protests, determined to reclaim not just the streets but also the independence of women.
"We couldn’t wake up on Independence Day without claiming the night," the Baghajatin residents told The Telegraph Online.
“How do rapists keep evading justice in a nation that prides itself on democracy?” questioned Sharanya Halder, a class 10 student, who had joined the protest with his grandparents.
“With every discrepancy in the investigation, I wonder if this is the freedom and democracy we brag about.”
“Perhaps it’s time to confront our broken pride”, he added.
The protesters sang the national anthem at the stroke of midnight.
Nine kilometres away, protesters occupied the Academy of Fine Arts complex- another protest hotspot- to protest against the rape and murder of the trainee doctor from RG Kar Medical College.
Young school goers take part in the protest at Academy of Fine Arts.
12-year-old Shahajiya Das stood out among the protesters at the Academy complex. She went on collecting signatures and contacts from fellow protesters to keep a note of how many had come in solidarity.
"We cannot let this happen to another woman," she says, her voice steady with determination.
Little ones tagged along with elders for the protest at Academy of Fine Arts on 14th August 2024.
Sampurna Mukherjee, a schoolteacher, arrived at the Academy of Fine Arts with her three and half year-old daughter. "I know she’s too young to understand any of this," she told The Telegraph Online. "But I brought her along so she knows she’s not alone."
Protests at Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta on Independence day eve.
"If anyone ever tries to touch her inappropriately or harm her, she should know she doesn’t have to think twice before taking action." She paused, looking at the crowd around her. "There are so many people who are with her. She must know to stand up against what’s wrong,” the mother added.
Among the protesters was 76-year-old Rupen Chaudhuri, who came to the protest with the aid of his walking stick.
“If they are attacked today, I will not hesitate to use my lathi,” said Chaudhuri to The Telegraph Online.
When Tagore wrote of a world 'where the mind is without fear and the head is held high,' he could not have foreseen the women in Calcutta reclaiming their streets, demanding safety and justice, not just in daylight but during the night on the eve of the 78th Independence Day!
But the women of Calcutta remained sleepless, determined to secure their own freedom.
