RG Kar ‘Reclaim The Night’ Protestors Assaulted: A Dark Reminder of the Fight for Women’s Freedom on Independence Night
News Mania Desk/Agnibeena Ghosh/16th August 2024
On the eve of India’s Independence Day, a night meant to celebrate freedom, a young woman and her partner were brutally attacked while returning from a protest demanding women’s freedom. The incident took place in Maheshtala, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, in the early hours of August 15, when the couple, who had been part of the “Reclaim the Night” protest, were subjected to horrifying violence.
The protest, which had drawn women from all walks of life, was sparked by the brutal rape and murder of a young postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Women across West Bengal, including students, professionals, and homemakers, took to the streets, determined to demand justice and reclaim their right to safety. The demonstrations, which began peacefully just before midnight, were a powerful statement against the pervasive violence that women face daily. However, the safety that these women sought was tragically violated as the night unfolded.
RALLY PROTESTING AGAINST THE ASSAULT ON RG KAR ‘RECLAIM THE NIGHT’ PROTESTORS.
The young couple was returning home around 12:30 am after participating in the protest when they decided to make a brief stop. While the man stepped away to use a washroom, his girlfriend waited nearby. It was during this moment of vulnerability that three men on motorcycles spotted the woman alone. What should have been a quiet moment of reflection on the night’s powerful protest turned into a nightmare as the men approached her with vile intentions.
These thugs, emboldened by the darkness and the woman’s temporary isolation, began to harass her with vulgar slurs and lewd comments. When the woman bravely screamed for help, her boyfriend rushed back to her side, only to be met with brutal violence. The three attackers, far from retreating, turned their aggression towards the man, beating him mercilessly. The assault was so severe that it left him with a fractured leg and extensive injuries to his arms, a physical testament to the cowardice and brutality of their attackers.
Thankfully, the couple’s cries for help did not go unanswered. Some courageous strangers who witnessed the attack intervened, driving the attackers away and ensuring the couple could find safety. The couple later filed an FIR against the attackers, refusing to be silenced or intimidated by the subsequent attempts from the attackers’ parents to broker a “mutual understanding.” The attackers, allegedly from a neighborhood in Southern Kolkata, now face legal action as the case has been forwarded to the court by the police.
RALLY PROTESTING AGAINST THE ASSAULT ON RG KAR ‘RECLAIM THE NIGHT’ PROTESTORS. VICTIMS’ PICTURES HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN FOR THE SAKE OF CONFIDENTIALITY
This heinous attack is a stark and shameful reminder of the ongoing battle for women’s safety and freedom in a country that prides itself on its independence. The fact that a woman and her partner were assaulted on the very night they were protesting for women’s independence is an indictment of the society we live in. It underscores the urgent need for systemic change to protect women from such violence.
In response, the couple’s neighborhood has united in peaceful protest, standing firm in their demand for justice. Their resolve sends a powerful message: the fight for women’s freedom and safety is far from over, and the voices of those who stand up against oppression will not be silenced. The attack on these protestors is not just an attack on two individuals but on the very ideals of freedom and justice that the nation is supposed to uphold.
In a country that celebrates its freedom with pride, how can we claim that women are truly safe when those who protest for their right to security are brutally attacked on the very night meant to protest for a women’s brutal murder?
How can we protest to ‘Reclaim the night’, when our own nights are shrouded in the fear of violence?
