On Wednesday, 90-year-old Maya Rani Chakraborty from Kolkata’s Joka marched three kilometre from her apartment complex to ESI Medical College and Hospital in Joka as part of the ‘Reclaim the Night’ protest — a gathering of thousands of men and women from the city who marched to protest the rape and murder of a woman doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

Despite her age and although usually cut off from news sources, Chakraborty was deeply affected when she learnt about the incident from her granddaughters and nieces. So, when posters came up around the city announcing a protest march, she decided to join, she said.

“This is the most disturbing thing I’ve heard in my life,” she told The Indian Express. “Women have reached space but we still can’t give them the basic right to safety. I have so many girls in my family and all are working. I decided that even if none of the others (in my family/ neighbourhood go), I will at least step out with a candle to be a part of it and part of the protibad (protest). Protibad darkar around kora uchit (Protest is needed and we must do it).”

The incident “broke something inside” of her, she said. She also worries about the safety of women in her family. “I cried when I heard about it,” she said, while her family said her blood pressure shot up that day. “Where are we headed as a society? I never imagined something like this could happen in the civilised world. There is no safety and I’m worried about future generations.”

She said she gets daily updates on the case from her granddaughters, nephews and nieces. That was how she heard about the ‘Reclaim the Night’ protest too.

“After walking for that innocent doctor, I felt an inner sense of satisfaction. We are a society and everyone should raise their voices in protest when needed,” she said.

Click here to join The Indian Express on WhatsApp and get latest news and updates