New Delhi:
President Draupadi Murmu – in her first public statement on the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital nearly 20 days ago – described herself as “disappointed and horrified”, and criticized the “disgusting collective amnesia”. which allows women to be harassed, brutalized, and killed.
In an exclusive interview with news agency PTI, President Murmu also condemned a “sad mentality… that sees women as 'less human'… 'less powerful'… 'less capable'.” … and 'less intelligent'.
“No civilized society can allow daughters and sisters to be subjected to such atrocities… Enough is enough,” he said, adding, “The Nirbhaya incident (2012 gang-rape of a Delhi woman In the 12 years since (Dari and murder), countless rapes have taken place. Forgotten by society… This 'collective amnesia' is disgusting.”
He told PTI, “Societies afraid to face history only resort to collective amnesia… India must face history squarely. Let us deal with this distortion comprehensively.. .stop it at the beginning,” he told PTI.
Ms Murmu also red-flagged (indirectly) other recent horrific incidents of violent crime against women, including the rape of nurses in Uttarakhand and Maharashtra, and allegations of sexual harassment against actors and directors in the Malayalam film industry. “…even as students, doctors and citizens were protesting in Kolkata, criminals roamed elsewhere…” he said on Wednesday afternoon.
The murder of a young doctor at a Kolkata hospital – his body was discovered early on August 9 and post-mortem reports confirmed brutal injuries to his legs, hands and genitals – has raised concerns about healthcare across the country. It has sparked strong protests by activists and civil society activists.
It has also fueled a political tussle between Bengal's ruling Trinamool and the opposition BJP, even as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's 'on-paper' ally, the Congress, has launched a fierce attack.
Trinamool and BJP have exchanged letters. Ms Banerjee called for tougher laws to protect women but the Center pointed out that she had failed to implement schemes to deal with such crimes.
The investigation into the RG Kar Hospital murder case has been handed over to the CBI. The Calcutta High Court, taking cognizance of the petition of the doctors' parents and their claims of negligence by police officials, ordered the federal agency to take possession of it.