Statement of the Central Committee of the Communist Ghadar Party of India, 22 August, 2024
With deep sorrow and anger, the Communist Ghadar Party of India condemns the brutal rape and murder of a young doctor, at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, on August 9.
The gruesome incident has once again highlighted the terrible insecurity faced by women across the country, including at the workplace. It has also brought into focus the conditions of work of doctors and nurses in government as well as private hospitals all over the country, their long working hours, often without the most basic facilities such as resting rooms, and at great risk to their lives and safety.
The criminal role of the RG Kar Hospital authorities, the West Bengal state government and the police, in trying to cover up the crime and shield the actual criminals is increasingly getting exposed. For several hours after the mutilated body of the victim had been discovered, the hospital authorities did not even inform her family of the tragedy. When they eventually did so, they declared it to be suicide! This, in spite of the fact that an autopsy confirmed that the victim was raped and murdered, with multiple injuries on her body, and indications of gang-rape. Her parents were not permitted to see their daughter’s body for three hours after being informed of her death, despite repeated pleadings. There were attempts by the police to hastily cremate the body immediately after post-mortem.
Many facts have been revealed, which show that this government medical college and hospital has been turned into a den of wide-spread corruption and all kinds of criminal activities. This has been going on right under the eyes of the state government and its police force. Those who tried to expose this did so at a grave risk to their lives.
The Communist Ghadar Party of India salutes the courageous spirit of doctors, women activists, rights activists and people from all walks of life, who have come out on to the streets in thousands, to condemn this ghastly crime. Throughout the country, daily protest marches, candle-light protests and dharnas are being organised, demanding a thorough investigation into the crime and strictest punishment for the guilty. “When will our sisters and daughters ever be safe?”, “Who will punish the guilty?” – this is what people are asking of the rulers. The government’s claims of ‘beti bachao’ and ‘Nari Shakti’ ring hollow, in the face of the rising crimes and cruel discrimination against women.
The anger of the protesting doctors and masses of people clearly show that people have no faith in the government or any of the political parties in parliament. Life experience shows that the political parties of the bourgeoisie and all institutions of the state, including the executive, the legislative and the judiciary, in practice defend and perpetuate the oppression and discrimination of women and permit the most barbaric crimes against women.
The Communist Ghadar Party of India calls on all the people to step up the struggle for justice and punishment of the guilty, for safety at the workplace and against the growing crimes on women. Let us strengthen our unity and build our capacity for organised self-defence. Let us wage our struggles with the aim of laying the foundation of a new society, in which the rights and dignity of all working women and men will be safeguarded, and anyone who violates these will be severely punished, regardless of official position.