“My time is up, Sir.” Jawhar Sircar quipped in his quintessential style while tendering his resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Never shied away from airing his views—off course, erudite—the Presidency College alumnus cracked the UPSC exams at an early age and went on to become one of the most formidable and distinguished bureaucrats heading several high-profile departments at the state as well as the Centre.
The Bengali bhadralok had a clear vision for the country’s public broadcaster—Prasar Bharti—when he was CEO. He quit the Trinamool Congress very recently in the wake of the horrific rape-murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital as he didn’t like the handling of the case by the state administration. Excerpts:
Would you call the protest against the rape-murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital political?
I believe that the bulk of the protest is non-political. It is outpouring of public emotion demanding justice for the victim — a young doctor. I have never seen such sustained spontaneous protest in my life. I am not aware of any such protest. I can say that the current protest is bigger than the food movement in 1959 or students’ movement by the Left during 1966-67.
That’s the point of differences I had with the Trinamool Congress leadership, which, as a political party, refused to acknowledge that most of the protests are non-political. The party sees the role of the Opposition parties — the BJP and the CPM — in engineering the protests.
The second part of the protest, Reclaim The Night may appear to be occupation of public space at night—both spatial and temporal space—but it has a wider meaning for the society. It is a manifestation of a women led people’s demand for justice not only for the poor woman victim but for womankind as a whole.
Look at how women from all walks of life have hit the streets to ‘Reclaim’ seeking a guarantee for justice from government but also from society. Their pent-up anger against patriarchy in society also. The horrific rape-murder of the 31-year-old doctor was the trigger point for this wider issue.
The protests are signs of people’s anger against the TMC government?
It is a total societal movement happening. Else, how would one describe the participation of almost all sectors — from cab drivers to Swiggy delivery personnel, from common citizens to housewives, old and young—join the protests. The message is loud and clear —Bengal isn’t prepared to let culprits to go unpunished. It is a collective angst. It is a clear assertion of the people of Bengal that they will tolerate horrific rapes that happened in Hathras, Unnao or Kathua in Bengal.
A Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh cannot be allowed in Bengal.
In your resignation letter, you were very critical of the handling of the case. Please elaborate.
I had differences with the party leadership. My approach is different. I would have jumped straight into the problem and opened dialogues and back channels, then talk and talk till a resolution is found.
I remember an incident at Barrackpore Rastraguru Surendranath College in 1979 when as an IAS officer I, despite repeated warning by fellow officers, I went straight in the college and engaged with the protesting students.
I believe that both parties—the state government and the protesting doctors —must engage, talk to each other and find a solution. Only dialogues can resolve the situation.
What next for you?
I will continue to fight for the right causes. I will speak and write.