The horrifying rape and murder of the 31-year-old trainee doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College has triggered massive outrage and protests not just in India but also across the globe, especially among the Indian diaspora. In the past few days, the Indian community as well as people of the Indian-origin have staged – and continue to organise – protests across the world demanding Justice for the deceased trainee doctor.
Demanding Justice for ‘Abhaya’ (meaning fearless – name given for the deceased victim), the Indian diaspora has registered their outrage and staged protests across prominent cities of the World. These include New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and Atlanta in the United States of America, Leeds, and London in the United Kingdom, and in several European nations including Germany and Poland as well as in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka.
Protests erupt across various cities and states in the United States of America
On Wednesday (14th August), the Indian American community staged a midnight protest in New York’s Times Square, holding banners that read, ‘Justice for Abhaya’, ‘No more Silence’ and raising slogans like – ‘We want Justice’, ‘Pray for Kolkata’.
Sayantan Das, who was part of the midnight protest at Times Square, said that there were around 40 people who gathered in a show of solidarity with students and women in Bengal.
Das said, “Some scientists and researchers of New York organized the protest and we carried leaflets and posters. There were many Indians who were nearby and they asked us about the incident. Finally, when we sang the National Anthem, they joined us.”
An Atlanta resident, Ambarish Mitra said, “Around 150 people gathered in Atlanta on Aug 14 from 5.45 pm to 8.15 pm to demand justice and appeal for a systematic change to address discrimination and violence against women.”
On Thursday (15th August), the Bengali community organised a protest-cum-vigil in Chicago. An advocate Sharmistha Banerjee said, “The protest came together on 24 hours’ notice. We will continue to organize, support, resist, and fight on a much larger scale.”
In Houston, the Bengali community including members of the Houston Durgabari Society and Tagore Society of Houston staged a protest seeking Justice for the RG Kar rape and murder case victim.
One of the organisers of the rally, Rituparna Roy said, “The fact that an educated working woman standing up to corruption was raped and murdered points to a complete systematic failure at medical institutions.”
On Sunday afternoon, the Indian community living in Los Angeles will gather at Lake Hollywood Park to protest in front of the Hollywood signage. An LA-based teacher who grew up in Kolkata, Babli Chakraborty said, “Some 250 Indians are expected to turn up. Earlier on, rape survivors never spoke because of shame. Now, it is crucial to raise our voices.”
Indians spread across Europe express solidarity with protesters seeking Justice for Abhaya
On 15th August, around 35 members of the expat Bengali community in Cologne, Germany along with their non-Bengali friends staged a protest at the Cologne Cathedral staircase in the main station square to raise their voices over the horrific incident at the RG Kar medical college.
Sukanya Chakraborty (36) who is an English teacher from Kolkata kicked off the protest by deciding “not to wish anyone a good evening”. She ended her speech by demanding that “no mercy” should be awarded for the perpetrators in this case.
The meeting was organised by Debaschmidt Biswas along with Soumi Chakraborty and Sukanya Chakraborty. During the protest, Biswas read out a poem by his mother on women’s plight in her city.
They ended the meeting by holding a candle in their hand and raising demands of “Justice for RG Kar, Justice for Kolkata”.
Indians living across the United Kingdom join global outcry for Justice in the RG Kar Medical College case
Meanwhile, on 14th August, Indians living in Leeds, gathered at Crown Point Shopping Centre and wore all-black attires to mark their protest against the heinous crime that took place in Kolkata earlier this month on the 9th August morning.
One of the protesters, Homemaker Amrita Roy said, “I am hurt and angry. We wore all-black and observed a minute’s silence before speaking about the issue. Not a single rapist should go unpunished. No one dare hush up the matter. I demand transparency in a fast-tracked probe.”
Additionally, on Wednesday (14th August), doctors from Bengal and other parts of India working in the UK received support from the Indian community living in the city as they held a protest and carried out a candlelight march in Manchester.
A neonatologist at Cambridge and an alumnus of RG Kar, Arunava Dhar said, “This is a shocking incident.”
The protests were also marked in other areas including London’s Trinity Church, Princes Street in Edinburgh, and the main square of Poland’s Krakow.
Furthermore, a candlelight vigil was also organised in Canada’s Thistletown Community Centre. Similarly, many gathered at Elizabeth Milburn Park in Austin. In Ashland, Massachusetts, and the nearby towns of Hopkinton and Holliston, the Bengali community held an event in solidarity with India’s medical community and protesters seeking Justice for the trainee female doctor, Abhaya.
Students in Dhaka demand Justice for Abhaya as well as victims of religious persecution in Bangladesh
On Friday (16th August) night, female students in large numbers organised a protest at Dhaka University against the RG Kar incident. They also raised their voice for all rape survivors in Bangladesh who have been denied justice in the past and demanded speedy trials for the perpetrators.
Doctor-turned-actor Azmeri Haque Badhon was also part of the protest. She said, “I used social media to register my protest. These criminals roam freely while unleashing barbaric attacks on women. The RG Kar incident is not an isolated one. No one receives justice. It is important to address this issue on a global scale.”
