Need fair probe on Kolkata rape and murder, law to protect doctors
The rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at a premier medical college in Kolkata has led to an uprising of medical professionals and members of civil society in many parts of India. At the heart of the matter is the abject lack of security faced by health service providers—doctors, nurses and other staff—at their workplaces, especially in government-run facilities. Alongside this is the frustration of women, who face sexual violence on a daily basis and are faced with apathy, ignorance or impunity from society, the political establishment and state apparatus.
The Kolkata incident has foregrounded the intersection of challenges faced by women health professionals. First, the victim was attacked while alone and asleep in a seminar hall where she was resting as the institution—the 138-year-old R G Kar Medical College—did not have a rest room for on-call doctors. This is shockingly common—doctors across the nation have pointed out the lack of facilities at government institutions for them to rest. Second, the events following her death—her parents’ assertion that they were initially told she had died by suicide and the college principal not filing a complaint with the police—have only led to suspicions, even from the Calcutta High Court, of further foul play.
The state government seemed to indicate with whom it stood—not the victim or doctors—when the principal, orthopaedics professor Dr Sandeep Ghosh, was reassigned to another prestigious posting hours after he acceded to the students’ demand for him to resign. Meanwhile, the tragedy became political fuel for parties of every hue, each staging dramatics without concrete action. The blame game escalated after a mob barged in on Wednesday night and vandalised a section of the college. Enough is enough.
The Central Bureau of Investigation, which has taken over the probe on court orders, must ensure a thorough, transparent and fair investigation that ensures justice is served. Now is the time for the Union government to revive its legislation ensuring protection to health professionals. Finally, the battle towards a safe and equal world for women and sexual minorities is a long one. Today’s anger must remain as widespread and as fresh, and must force us to introspect and overcome our own prejudices and complicity. Societal change begins at home.