WASHINGTON: On Sunday, thousands of Indian expatriates and supporters staged protests in over 130 cities across 25 countries to demand justice following the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata last month.
The demonstrations, which began in Japan, Australia, Taiwan, and Singapore, have spread to numerous European cities and are set to include sixty protests in the U.S. The global outcry adds to ongoing protests across India following the August 9th attack on the 31-year-old postgraduate student of chest medicine.
The case has led to the arrest of a suspect and the former principal of R.G. Kar Medical College, where the victim was studying. In Stockholm, Sweden, protesters gathered in Sergels Torg square, many clad in black, singing Bengali songs and displaying signs demanding justice and increased safety for Indian women.
Dipti Jain, a British citizen and alumna of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, highlighted the profound impact of the crime. Jain, who previously organized a protest by female doctors in the UK, expressed the collective outrage and demand for accountability in response to the brutality of the incident.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on Monday. Despite stricter laws enacted following the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student in New Delhi, activists argue that the Kolkata incident underscores ongoing issues with sexual violence against women.
Leave a Reply