Seeking justice, not politics
The city of Kolkata is in the news now for the wrong reason. The heinous crime committed against a 31-year-old post-graduate trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata has triggered spontaneous protest, not only from medical fraternity, but also from all other walks of life across the country.
Following the shocking incident of rape and murder in the heart of the city, the West Bengal government’s handling of the situation with a series of erroneous steps added woes to the situation.
It included passing of the ‘rape and murder’ as suicide, while the autopsy revealed that the victim was raped and murdered; the parents were kept in the dark and the body of the girl was cremated in haste; the tainted principal of the college Sandip Ghosh was shifted to National Medical College, another prestigious institution in Kolkata, instead of being suspended and renovation work was started near the crime scene at the hospital soon after the incident. Added to the ineptitude was the failure to prevent vandalism at RG Kar while a peaceful mid-night protest was undertaken by the doctors and citizen.
There is a perception that the government, using the police, was trying to hide information and shield other culprits involved in the crime. Reports suggest that some doctors and administrative personnel were involved in the transfer and the choice of posting reeks of money. The victim had come to know about details of shady activities taking place and had protested in various forums but the police arrested only one person. The whole murkiness of the situation was fuelled by an overwhelming sense of grief, helplessness and anger, which culminated in an embarrassing situation for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also health and home minister.
The CM is probably facing the biggest political challenge of her career, as demand for justice for the victim has snowballed into cries for her resignation. And, this has hit the iron lady hard.
But the question is: why did a seasoned politician like her commit such mistakes in handling the situation. Political observers say that the chief minister is known to take hasty decisions; also, she hardly consults her senior colleagues.
Veteran leaders have been airing their views openly on the administration’s failure in handling the situation. They have also supported the peaceful agitation of the people. All this has confused the party cadre, who does not know how to douse the public anger.
Meanwhile, even as the protest intensifies against the government, the Calcutta High Court has handed over the case to the CBI. The court has included the financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College during the tenure of Sandip Ghosh also to the ambit of investigation. And the Supreme Court has initiated a suo motu investigation into the RG Kar rape and murder case.
What is equally appalling is that, while the citizens are spontaneously participating in the protest and demanding justice for the victim, the Opposition in Bengal is making this heinous incident a political tool to attack the chief minister and demand her removal. They are trying to hijack this mass movement for their political advantage.
Banerjee has slammed CPI(M) and BJP for creating instability in the state. She has also reminded them about Hathrass, Bilkis Bano and Manipur incidents, while accusing BJP and CPI(M) for making a co-ordinated effort to defame Bengal by exploiting the situation.
“It is true West Bengal government has severely damaged its reputation by taking some incorrect administrative decisions after the incident,” says N.G. Khaitan, senior partner, Khaitan & Co, commenting on the demand for the chief minister’s removal. “Similar incidents have happened in other states too, but none has witnessed a protest movement of this dimension. However, there is no provision to remove a chief minister on a situation like this.”
During the argument in the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice of India stated that the situation like the RG Kar case should not be politicised. He also appealed to doctors to end the strike and return to work to serve the people coming to government hospitals for treatment. But the doctors in Bengal seem to have turned down the appeal. The Health Department of West Bengal has been making an attempt to restore normalcy at the state-run hospital through dialogue with doctors.
The Supreme Court has also set up a National Task Force to develop a protocol to ensure doctors’ safety.
The parents of the victim have expressed frustration over the slow progress of the investigation by CBI. It is important that the government ensure speedy justice for her in a transparent manner. The nation is watching!