Women-led Reclaim the Night protest in Bengal as Kolkata turns off lights; governor says ‘enough is enough’
Hundreds of thousands of women across West Bengal marched at midnight on Wednesday as part of the “Reclaim the Night” campaign demanding justice for a 31-year-old woman trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
The Reclaim the Night campaign, however, saw violence in Mathabhanga town when a protester was allegedly assaulted by members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Meanwhile, West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose asked chief minister Mamata Banerjee to take “convincing steps to assuage the sentiments of the people” who are enraged over the RG Kar Hospital rape-murder case.
Protest over Kolkata doctor rape-murder: 10 updates
In a striking demonstration of unity and resistance, at 9pm, Kolkata experienced a powerful moment of civic solidarity as residents switched off their lights for an hour and took to the streets with candles.
2. Kolkata, cloaked in darkness and lit only by the flicker of candlelight, mourned the doctor’s tragic death at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, while offering steadfast support to her grieving family.
3. At 9pm sharp, prominent landmarks such as the Victoria Memorial and Raj Bhavan, along with homes across the city, its suburbs and districts, plunged into darkness as part of the protest. Governor CV Ananda Bose also lit a candle at the Raj Bhavan and said, “When light is fear, darkness is dear.”
4. The Bengal governor also directed Mamata Banerjee to ensure proper maintenance of law and order in the state, with a focus on protecting and securing women. “Governor directs the CM to take convincing steps to assuage the sentiments of the people of Bengal who are agitated over the RG Kar Hospital horror and maintain law and order in the state offering protection and security to the women. Enough is enough,” a statement from the Raj Bhavan said.
5. The Reclaim the Night movement, largely driven by social media, gained momentum as protests kicked off at 11:30pm, marking the second such gathering since a midnight campaign on August 14.
6. Across the state, from small towns to bustling cities, the air reverberated with the rallying cry: “We want justice”.
7. In Kolkata, the spirit of the protest was palpable. Women from all walks of life, students, professionals and homemakers marched together, their voices rising in unison against the violence that had claimed the doctor’s life.
8. The movement spread to other key locations, including Berhampore, Chinsurah, Santiniketan, Krishnanagar, Bardhaman, Siliguri, Barasat, Barrackpore, Rajarhat-Newtown, Cooch Behar, and Jalpaiguri.
9. Doctors, both junior and seniors, held a protest at the epicentre – RG Kar Medical College and Hospital- where the victim’s parents and her extended family members were also present.
10. Pradyut Saha, a branch secretary of the CPI(M) and an employee of the Mathabhanga municipality, was reportedly attacked during a demonstration by the West Bengal Democratic Writers’ and Artistes’ Association and the People’s Theatre Association to demand justice for the murdered doctor. Biswajit Rai, president of Mathabhanga Town Block TMC, denied any assault, stating that the party had organised its own protest at Mathabhanga Chowpathi and that no violence occurred.