RG Kar incident: Television artists take to the street to demand justice

Protests are going on all over West Bengal over the heinous rape and murder of the doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital earlier this month. Common people as well as celebrities are coming to the streets every day with the slogan: We want justice. The television artistes also came to the streets on Tuesday. 

They questioned the decision of relieving women from night duties. The rally started at Deshapriya Park and ended at Indrapuri Studio. Bhaswar Chatterjee, Koneenica Banerjee, Rooqma Roy, Mainak Banerjee, Rahul Arunodoy Banerjee, Sreetama Roychoudhury, Indranil Mallik, Suman Banerjee, and other actors and actresses walked in the rally. Anjana Basu and Shruti Das were at the forefront of the rally. 

The celebrities voiced their protests. What did they say?

Actor Rahul Arunodoy Banerjee said, “People are agitated because our sister went to serve them and became a victim of the animals at her workplace. We have not yet got any answer. The steps taken by the state government surprised us. CBI is such a long process and very frustrating. Our coming to the streets will not stop till justice is served.” 

Another eminent actor Bhaswar said, “If you stop women’s night duty, then the nurses’ night duty has also to be stopped. Ayahs also work at different houses at night. If you stop everyone’s night duty, how will they live? How will people get service? Thousands of girls work at the call centers at night. Relieving them from those night duties is no solution. It will be more convenient if justice is quicker.” 

Actress Koneenica said, “Do girls get harassed only at night? Don’t these things happen during the day? I don’t discriminate in gender. All should get a place in society. Then, boys’ night shifts should also be stopped. Many poor people earn their livelihood by doing night shifts–from ayahs to people involved with the film industry. Let justice be served as quickly as possible. We the common people are also demanding it so that we can fearlessly go to the streets. If it does not happen, we have to assume that we are no longer safe. We all understand everything. There is no point in hushing up. Law can’t be bought.”

Mainak said, “People’s anger is rising. I never saw a bigger movement than this. The entire Bengal and people from all the strata seek justice. Let this fire of the people live.” 

Rooqma told the media, “Our movement wants to make sure that such a heinous crime does not happen again. We will go on protesting until justice is served.”