January 1, 2014
The West Bengal police’s attempt to abduct the body of the Madhyamgram gang rape victim in Kolkata, and forcibly cremate it without the family’s presence, is shameful and shocking. Clearly the police’s attempt was to prevent any public protest from building around the cremation. This latest incident reflects the assault on democratic dissent and the deeply misogynistic hostility towards rape survivors, that has marked the Trinamool Congress Government headed by Mamata Banerjee right from the start, in countless incidents.
On New Year’s Day last year, the whole country was in the midst of an agitation following the gangrape of Jyoti Singh on December 16th, who also succumbed after a long battle with death. This year, again, another young girl has lost her life after a long and painful struggle. The Madhyamgram victim of gangrape was gangraped again on her way back from filing a police complaint. Later, assailants entered her home and set her on fire – an incident the police tried to paint as an act of self immolation. Finally, on new year’s eve, she lost her battle for life.
The West Bengal Govt must resign for its habitual hostility towards rape survivors and for its shameful insult to the rape victim’s body.
