India: Doctor's rape casts shadow over Kolkota festival

DW (English)

Kolkota's largest festival celelebrates the goddess Durga. But those angered by the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in August are using Durga Puja to protest.

Transcript

00:00This is the most festive time of the year, but I feel I am in the mourning period.

00:12My name is Dr. Shobhadipa Chakravarti and I am a doctor in the city of Kolkata.

00:20During this time there is festivity all around.

00:22Usually Durga Puja is celebrated here, where Goddess Durga is celebrated as a symbolic

00:27work of women empowerment and people go around from pandal to pandal.

00:31And pandals are basically the festive installations of Goddess Durga, where people actually visit

00:36to worship Goddess Durga.

00:39All the different pandals have different themes, which are usually centered around any social

00:43issues that is pertinent to the relevant conditions of the society.

00:47So the main social issue that is pertinent right now is demanding justice for Abhaya.

00:53The moment I walked into this pandal and looked at this installation, I am literally

00:57reminded of the horrific incident that took place on August 9th, 2024.

01:13We can see that the head of the lion is hung down in shame and even Goddess Durga is covering

01:19her face to represent how shameful this heinous crime had been and Abhaya is lying down in

01:25front of her.

01:34Indian women are not very secure in the society.

01:36Specifically if I talk about the pathetic condition of my state, even our workplaces

01:42which are considered to be our second home are not secure.

01:45If the girls are not feeling safe and secure in their workplaces, then what can be worse

01:50than that?

01:51So it's two months already and we are still occupying the streets and we are walking down

01:57the streets in demand of justice.

01:59And probably in the entire history of India, this is the first protest specifically governing

02:04the women's security, demanding the women's security.

02:06This is the first protest that's longing for so long.

02:10Maybe we are fighting against a barbaric system.

02:13Maybe we are fighting against a corrupted society, but still we have to keep our hopes

02:17high.

02:18We have to keep fighting till the end.

02:21This spine actually reminds me of the time when we started our protest and we actually

02:25gifted an actual spine to the police personnel to remind them of the fact that they should

02:30actually keep their spine straight while chasing the rapists rather than covering up for them.

02:39I want a country where I won't be dictated.

02:42I won't be taught how to behave in public.

02:44I shouldn't be afraid to go out alone in the night.

02:49I shouldn't be afraid to go out without a male friend or someone.

02:52We want this society to change into a better one, a society where Goddess Durga is being

02:57worshipped.

02:58The women should also be respected in a similar fashion, otherwise there is no point in worshipping

03:03Goddess Durga and disrespecting the women.

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