Protests have escalated in India following the vandalism of a hospital in West Bengal, where a female trainee doctor was raped and murdered. The hospital was attacked on Wednesday during the large-scale Reclaim the Night march in Kolkata, organized to denounce the horrific crime. Smaller demonstrations also took place in several other Indian cities, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Pune. In response, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the country’s largest doctors’ organization, has called for a nationwide strike of non-emergency services on Saturday.
Doctors’ associations in other cities and political parties in West Bengal have also organized marches on Friday and throughout the weekend to protest the attack. Tens of thousands of women across the state took part in the Reclaim the Night march on Wednesday night, demanding the “freedom to live without fear.” While most of the protests remained peaceful, clashes broke out when a group of unidentified men stormed RG Kar Hospital—the site of the crime—and vandalized its emergency ward. Videos shared online show the men smashing beds and equipment with sticks.
Protesters told the BBC that several doctors and hospital staff were injured during the attack. Police vehicles were also damaged in the chaos, and tear gas was used to disperse the crowd. So far, Kolkata police have arrested 19 people in connection with the incident.
On Thursday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) condemned the attack, calling it “hooliganism unleashed on protesting students” and announced a 24-hour withdrawal of non-emergency services starting at 06:00 local time (00:30 GMT) on Saturday. The IMA emphasized that doctors, particularly women, are vulnerable to violence due to the nature of their profession and urged authorities to ensure their safety within hospitals and campuses. “The IMA requires the nation’s sympathy for the just cause of its doctors,” the association stated.
The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (Forda), another major doctors’ group, has also resumed its strike after briefly suspending it on Tuesday. The strike was initially called off after federal Health Minister JP Nadda assured members that their demands, including a federal law to curb attacks on doctors, would be addressed.
The incident has also ignited a political blame game 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 the allegations, instead blaming “political outsiders” for inciting the violence.
The rape and murder of the 31-year-old female trainee doctor have shocked the nation. Her half-naked body, bearing extensive injuries, was discovered in a seminar hall last week. A hospital volunteer has been arrested in connection with the crime.
Since then, two more cases of rape have made headlines in India. In Uttarakhand, a nurse was allegedly raped and murdered while returning home from work. Her body, missing since late July, was found last week. Police have arrested a man from Rajasthan in connection with the crime. Meanwhile, six people have been arrested in Bihar for the alleged gang-rape and murder of a six-year-old Dalit girl, whose mutilated body was discovered near a pond in Muzaffarpur district on Tuesday morning.
IMAGE CREDIT: BBC
