Kolkata doctor murder: President Murmu criticises society’s ‘collective amnesia’ on violence against women
PTC News Desk: President Droupadi Murmu has expressed profound dismay and horror over the recent brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. In her first public statement on the tragic event, President Murmu condemned the violence and called for immediate societal introspection to address the persistent issue of violence against women.
Speaking to PTI, President Murmu described the crime, which involved the death of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, as a stark reminder of the ongoing menace posed by such atrocities. The incident has triggered widespread protests across the country, with citizens from various sectors demanding justice and accountability.
President Murmu criticised the ongoing threat from criminals, noting that while protests were taking place in Kolkata, similar threats persisted elsewhere. She emphasized, “No civilised society can allow its daughters and sisters to be subjected to such brutality,” and called for a thorough and unbiased examination of the societal factors that contribute to these heinous acts.
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The President also condemned the pervasive “deplorable mindset” that devalues women, characterising it as a form of collective amnesia that has allowed the recurrence of such crimes to be forgotten over time. Reflecting on the aftermath of the 2012 Nirbhaya case, she described this amnesia as “obnoxious” and urged the nation to confront its history of violence against women directly.
“Let us address this perversion in a comprehensive manner to eliminate it from the root,” President Murmu asserted, emphasizing the need for systemic change to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
The Kolkata case has intensified scrutiny of the government’s handling of crimes against women. While a civic volunteer has been detained in connection with the case, the victim’s family has alleged that the crime involved multiple perpetrators and was a gang rape.
In response to the outcry, the Supreme Court has ordered the formation of a national task force to explore ways to enhance security for healthcare workers, describing the incident as one that has “shocked the conscience of the nation.”
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