Unresolved tangle

More than 40 days have passed, and the whole city, state, nation, and even the world are protesting and awaiting justice—the justice for the horrifying rape and brutal murder of a 31-year-old promising doctor on duty at an esteemed government hospital in our city Kolkata. This crime sent a shiver down the spine of every citizen, bringing together people from all social strata, castes, religions, and genders in solidarity, demanding justice for Abhaya.

Protests have taken many forms…while some took to the streets, others staged sit-ins for days. Some vented their outrage on social media, while others blew the conch shell to mark the beginning of a battle against crimes against women. While common people protested with profuse emotion of seeking justice, the bigotry of human nature also prevailed in certain incidents.

Even as some protested earnestly, the politicisation of this distressing event began. The blame game took over, and those demonstrating outrage contrasted sharply with those mourning quietly. Ironically, people seeking justice for one woman also trolled and issued rape threats to other women, especially public figures, on social media. The social media circus about who posted condemning the crime versus who didn’t continued...

This terrible incident forces one to reflect on the deeper flaws in our society. Women in India are often either worshipped or judged, but rarely treated as equals. In the heart of Kolkata, a popular gynaecologist openly asks patients after their firstborn girl child, "Do you want your next one to be a boy? Then we can do this procedure in Thailand."

The public and media judge actresses for forming human chains to protect themselves or walking separately during rallies. Yet, when an actress joins the masses, she is manhandled and mistreated. In fact, female celebrities are trolled far more than their male counterparts for their posts on the issue—whether for delays in posting or simply posting about themselves.

Meanwhile, the opposition has demanded the resignation of India’s only female Chief Minister at present for the law-and-order situation in the state. In other states, where crimes against women are far more rampant, and even ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act) is imposed, leaving people voiceless, political parties and the media remain mum. Patriarchy is so deeply embedded that male Chief Ministers in these states are rarely questioned about the rampant rapes occurring under their watch.

Moreover, the laws which are prevalent in India to protect women from atrocities are sometimes misused. Some women twist these laws for personal vengeance or to extract larger alimony from their spouses, thus victimising men instead.

In all this, the greatest sufferers are, as always, the common people. While the common man dies due to a scarcity of doctors in government hospitals amid the ongoing protests, private hospitals still refuse to admit patients with the Swasthya Sathi Card. Some doctors refuse to operate on patients, claiming they won’t receive their fees promptly.

While ordinary people protest, the occurrence of rape in the country has surged to a staggering 90 reported cases daily, which means four every hour, and one every 15 minutes. While India chants ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, Bharat ki mataye are far from winning.

The long wait for justice to be served for the victim grows ever more protracted. This reminds me of the famous Bollywood dialogue by Sunny Deol in Damini: "Tarikh pe tarikh, tarikh pe tarikh milti rahin, lekin insaf nahin mila, my lord"—date after date, but no justice.

In the religion I practice, Islam, there is a tradition called Chaliswa, which is held 40 days after the passing of a deceased person. This period is often seen as a time for the departed's soul to complete its journey to the afterlife, seeking forgiveness, redemption, and peace. I pray that she rests in peace, and we will continue to seek justice until it is served.

Views expressed are personal