Doctors to rickshaw pullers, Kolkata rocked by protest rallies

People from all walks of life -- former students of several educational institutions, clay modellers, rickshaw pullers and junior doctors -- separately hit the streets of Kolkata on Sunday in continued protest over the rape and murder of a medic in a state-run hospital a month ago.

Demanding the arrest of all culprits in the case, the mother of the post-graduate trainee whose body was found in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 said she had one child and now all the protesting medics are her children.

In south Kolkata, around 4,000 former students of over 40 schools, a large number of them women, walked a distance of 2 km demanding justice for the victim.

The former students of various ages chanted 'We Want Justice' as they walked along Rash Behari Avenue to the crossing of Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Road from Gariahat.

Ex-students of institutes like Binodini Girls School, Mitra Institution, Garfa High School, Carmel High School and St John's Diocesan took part in the procession, singing the iconic composition of rebel poet Kaji Nazrul Islam: 'Karar oi louho kopat, bhenge phel korre lopat' (Destroy the iron gates of prison).

A key organiser, Garima Ghosh said, "Apart from the main demand - punishment for all those involved in the brutal attack-murder of Abhaya (the symbolic name of the victim), we seek safety of women in all workplaces."

In another rally from the potters' hub of Kumartuli in north Kolkata, clay modellers took out a rally along Rabindra Sarani to Shyambazar five-point crossing, with a girl dressed as Goddess Durga leading the procession.

Singing Arijit Sing's song 'Aar kabe' (how long) in solidarity with sexually violated women, the protesters held aloft placards demanding speedy investigation and justice in the R G Kar murder-rape incident.

Sculptor Sanatan Dinda and singer Lagnajita were also part of the procession.

"One month has passed, but the fire within us will rage on till the culprits are flushed," Dinda said.

Lagnajita, a known face of the movement, said, "We will not rest till our sister gets justice. We will peacefully protest even if it lasts for months."

Around 100 people with their hand-pulled rickshaws also rallied from Hedua Park to College Square in north Kolkata.

"We demand justice for Abhaya -- who is our daughter," said Rameshwa Shaw, a rickshaw puller who is originally from Darbhanga in Bihar.

Hundreds of junior doctors of state-run NRS Hospital took out a rally from Sealdah to Esplanade in the heart of the city.

The parents of the murdered doctor were present at the spot in Esplanade where the rally culminated.

The victim's mother said, "Whenever I think about the torment, the pain experienced by my daughter on that night, I shudder. She had dreams to serve the society, Now, all these protesters are all my children."

Hundreds of junior doctors of R G Kar hospital -- the epicentre of the movement since August 10 -- formed a human chain at 5 pm and sang the national anthem holding the tri-colour.

They were joined by other citizens near a stage of left organisations Students' Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).

At Hazra crossing in south Kolkata, several members of the Bengali entertainment industry sat on a dharna demanding justice for the deceased medic.

They came to the spot in a procession from Tollygunge to Hazra, a distance of over 2 km.

Protest rallies were also held in several other places in West Bengal.

A scuffle broke out in one such march at Naihati in North 24 Parganas district after a group of youths, allegedly associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress entered into the rally.

The group accused the protesters of blocking the arterial Ghospara Road.

"The group of men snapped the wire of a loudspeaker fitted on the top of a vehicle which was part of the rally and beat up some of the participants," one of the protestors alleged.

The police brought the situation under control.

Meanwhile, thousands of people were expected to hit the streets in various parts of the state at midnight on Sunday in the third edition 'Reclaim the Night' campaign.

After the success of the first such gathering on August 14, the second edition was organised on September 4.