Whither the ‘City of Joy’?
The tragic demise of 31-year-old trainee female doctor, the only child of her modest parents, whose promising career has been so brutally cut short is too deep for tears
By Dr R Neerunjun Gopee
When Dominique Lapierre wrote the ‘City of Joy’ in 1985, a story based in Calcutta – now Kolkata – he couldn’t have imagined that someday it would instead be referred to as the ‘City of Bhoy’, as a friend from there posted to me two days ago.
Doctors across India urged nationwide shutdown after rape, murder of trainee medic. Financial Express
‘Bhoy’ in Bengali, the native language of West Bengal of which Kolkata is the capital, means fear. This new appellation follows in the wake of the gruesome gang-rape and atrocious murder of a 31-year old trainee female doctor at the R.G.Kar Medical College and Hospital. It is one of the four medical colleges in the city, and way back in the mid-sixties I did part of my initial medical studies there. So, this piece of terrible news, as well as much that is happening both in West Bengal generally and recently in Bangladesh with the flight of its Prime Minister Sheik Hasina to the safety of Bharat and the ensuing genocide against Hindus in her country, aroused my concern and sadness too.
What follows is sourced from information given in Indian TV channels, whose reporters have been on ground following the events. That doctor had been on a protracted spell of night duty until the early hours of the morning, when she finally went to the seminar room to rest. Usually there are other doctors also resting there, but it seems that on that fateful August 9, she was alone. As at date there are many unanswered queries, but it would seem that given the extent and severity of damage to the body, there may have been more than one person involved in the rape and murder.
From the time that the body was discovered a few hours later, and her kin was held back from viewing her body for nearly three hours, the larger picture has been unravelling. It involves the college’s Principal, highly placed administrative personnel, her professors and teachers, the ruling political party in West Bengal, namely the Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who also happens to be the State Minister of Health. In what was clearly a political gimmick, she led a protest march demanding that the main culprit be hanged! Loose tongues wagged that he may otherwise let out embarrassing secrets!
It is a sordid story with gory details that are not worth repeating, save to point out that, as an unconfirmed source averred, that lady doctor had started to speak out – or threatened to do so – about the corruption and other irregular practices among the teaching staff. Later has emerged more information about a drug and sex racket that has been going on, again that involved the high and mighty.
But furthermore, what caught my attention in addition to the admin-political nexus, were issues raised that resonated with events that have been plaguing our own country for the past few years. As gaps in the investigation by the State Police were being revealed, the Central Government had to intervene and transfer the case to the Central (i.e. Federal) Bureau of Investigation (CBI).Read More… Become a Subscriber
Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 23 August 2024
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