Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: Indian-origin doctors and medical students in the UK issued an open letter on Saturday in response to escalating protests over the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in Kolkata. This letter followed a peaceful protest outside India House in London and similar demonstrations across major UK cities, showing solidarity with the ongoing agitation in India.
Global solidarity grows for rape-murder victim
The letter condemns the ‘brutal’ attack and the West Bengal government’s subsequent ‘inaction,’ highlighting a growing concern about the increasing violence against women and the state’s negligence. It criticizes the lack of investment in public safety and the failure to create secure workplaces and effective judicial systems, pointing out the government’s tendency towards victim-blaming and misogynistic responses rather than supporting women’s empowerment.
Authorities discovered the 31-year-old doctor with severe injuries at RG Kar Medical College on August 9. Police have arrested a civic volunteer in connection with the case, and the CBI is actively investigating the incident. The incident has drawn global condemnation, with around a million doctors in India participating in a strike on Saturday. British Indian women doctors will hold a peaceful demonstration at Parliament Square in London on August 22, with additional protests planned across the UK.
SFI-UK held demonstrations in Edinburgh, Leeds and outside the Indian Embassy in London to demand justice for the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at RG Kar College. We stand in solidarity with protestors on the streets of Kolkata, who are facing the state’s brutal crackdown! pic.twitter.com/MDkUtXbqB9
— Students’ Federation of India – United Kingdom (@sfi_uk) August 16, 2024
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Dr. Dipti Jain, a National Health Service (NHS) geriatrician based in Brighton, expressed solidarity with the international medical community, stating, ‘Justice delayed is justice denied,’ reflecting the collective sentiment of doctors worldwide who have voiced their concerns.
Nationwide IMA strike continues amid Kolkata rape murder case
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called on all its members across India to join the strike, which will continue until Sunday morning, as part of the ongoing protests nationwide.
In Delhi, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is questioning the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital for the second consecutive day as part of its investigation into the attack. A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the case a day after the doctor’s body was found in the seminar hall on the hospital premises.
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