‘Movement started talks on gender justice, rights’
Times of India | 19 January 2025
12 Kolkata: Women, who had taken to the streets to protest against the rape and murder of the young RG Kar doctor, said the initial outpouring of support from the common man, before politicians and lobbies appropriated the movement, demonstrated people power that Kolkata had not witnessed in a long time. This power of the people sparked off a gender justice movement and brought about the much-needed conversation about women's safety, gender justice, equality and rights.
The thousands of women, who had stepped out of their homes for the night vigil, found the very act empowering. "For the first time, I felt the impact of the collective strength of women. Walking alongside thousands at midnight and reclaiming the streets were empowering," said Sreya Bose, a homemaker in Chetla. "Politicians and lobbies got co-opted in the RG Kar agitation at a later stage, but the movement led to small victories on the women's safety front. It compelled the administration to act swiftly in implementing certain safety measures," said Priyanka Chanda, who works at a PSU.
Rimjhim Sinha, the first one to call for the ‘Reclaim the Night' movement call on the midnight of Aug 14 last year, said, "It was a historic night, which saw massive and spontaneous participation from women from almost all social strata and people from marginalised gender communities. The movement showed the power of non-partisan people. The movement initiated a constructive dialogue on reforms, such as safe public transport at night, adequate washrooms for women and other gender communities, a safe workplace environment and the establishment of internal complaint committees and local complaint committees to address sexual harassment." According to Satabdi Das of the ‘Reclaim the Night United' forum, the spontaneous participation of women and trans, queer people, who regularly hit the streets, gave birth to the ongoing gender justice movement. "A big takeaway from the movement is that in spite of politicians trying to appropriate the movement, women, who participated in a protest for the first time, were not scared to speak out against the system. I feel the movement made people aware of their democratic rights and helped them overcome fears," Das said.
Installation of more CCTV cameras at hospitals, increased police presence in key areas and better street lighting were among the immediate effects of the movement. "The common man ensured the focus remained on the urgent need for systemic change. The sheer number of women who joined hands and took to the streets sent out a strong message," said Bushra Alam, a third-year student at a south Kolkata college.
For 60-year-old Bipasa Das, a resident of Madhyamgram, it was a momentous experience to participate in the night vigil on Aug 14. "Till then, I had never ventured out for any protest. But the brutality of the crime touched me so deeply that I felt it was my duty to mark my protest. After that, I participated in almost all the rallies. The movement made me realise it was essential to resist and speak out against acts of any form of violence," Das said.