Doctors across India participated in a national strike, escalating their protest against the rape and murder of a female colleague in Kolkata, West Bengal. The strike saw the participation of over a million people, leading hospitals and clinics nationwide to refuse non-emergency patients.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) condemned the killing, labeling it a “crime of barbaric scale due to the lack of safe spaces for women,” and urged the nation to support their “struggle for justice.” The intensity of protests has surged following a recent attack where a mob vandalized the hospital where the incident occurred.
The IMA confirmed that emergency and casualty services would remain operational during the strike, which concluded at 06:00 local time on Sunday (00:30 GMT). The association’s president, R. V. Asokan, expressed to the BBC that while doctors have long protested violence, this incident was “qualitatively different.” He emphasized that if such a crime could occur in a medical college in a major city, it indicates “everywhere doctors are unsafe.”
Earlier this week, doctors at several government hospitals announced a halt to elective procedures indefinitely. The IMA also made several demands, including strengthening laws to protect medical staff from violence, enhancing security at hospitals, and creating safe spaces for rest. They called for a “meticulous and professional investigation” into the murder and the prosecution of those involved in vandalizing the hospital, along with compensation for the victim’s family.
The rape and murder of the 31-year-old female trainee doctor has sent shockwaves across the country. Her body, found severely injured and half-naked, was discovered in a seminar hall at R G Kar Medical College after she was reported to have gone there to rest during her shift. A volunteer at the hospital has been arrested in connection with the crime.
In response to the criticism over the slow progress of the investigation, the case has been transferred from local authorities to India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has stated that “monstrous behaviour against women should be severely and quickly punished.”
The incident has also ignited a political debate in West Bengal, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) of orchestrating the attack. The TMC has denied these allegations, attributing the violence to “political outsiders.”
On Wednesday night, tens of thousands of women in West Bengal took part in the Reclaim the Night march, demanding “independence to live in freedom and without fear.” Although the protests were mostly peaceful, there were clashes between police and a small group of unidentified men who entered the RG Kar Hospital and ransacked its emergency ward. So far, at least 25 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Demonstrations have spread to other Indian cities including Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Pune. Sumita Datta, a demonstrator, shared with AFP, “It feels like hope is being reignited,” as thousands marched through the streets of Kolkata on Friday.
