International Desk

Tens of thousands of people participated in a “Reclaim the Night” march in the Indian city of Kolkata on Wednesday night to protest against last week’s rape and murder of a trainee doctor.

The march, largely led by women, demanded justice for the 31-year-old victim who worked at the RG Kar Medical College. She was brutally attacked on Friday, sparking protests and anger across the country.

Devalina Bose, 27, an intern at the same hospital, told the BBC that she joined the protest as she was hurt and angry because of what happened to her colleague.

Here is Devalina in her own words.

I’m still traumatised by what happened to the victim. I struggle to sleep at night.

I keep thinking about how just three weeks back, I had taken a short nap in a room just a few meters away from where the rape and murder happened.

I was tired that night after being on my feet for hours and I just wanted to take a nap. But the room didn’t have a lock and so I couldn’t bolt the door shut.

I was alone in the room and, for a second, I worried about my safety.

But then I pushed the thought out of my head because I told myself that my colleagues were close-by and nothing untoward could possibly happen to me in a hospital.

But now, I don’t feel this way anymore.

Every time I’m on shift, I catch myself looking over my shoulder, scanning the room for unsafe faces, voices… I don’t know what I’m looking for but I’m always on the edge.

What happened to her is just unimaginable. How could a doctor on duty be subjected to something so horrific? So inhuman?

Doctors save people’s lives. They give people a second – sometimes a third – lease on life.

So last night, I joined all my colleagues on the street. My parents didn’t want me to participate in the march because they were worried about my safety.

But I told them that they should encourage me instead, because women have the right to be out in the streets at night and to feel safe.

Women have the right to be anywhere they choose to, doing whatever they choose to, without having to worry about their safety. We have a right to the night like anybody else.

That’s why I joined the protest. To mark this idea and to force people to see it, understand it and believe it.

I saw so many people, of all ages, participate in the march.

There were several generations of women out in the streets – grandmothers, mothers, daughters – holding placards, candles, shouting slogans for justice and change. Some were just walking along silently, perhaps soaking it all in.

My female professors and staff from the hospital were also out to protest.

People from the building I stay in were also participating in a march organised by our society.

It was the first time I saw people I never thought would participate in a march in the night.

I thought it was so special and so powerful.

I walked along with my female friends and even though I attended just one protest march, I felt connected to the hundreds of marches being held simultaneously across the state.

My friends from other places shared videos of their marches with me. I shared photos and videos of mine.

In those few moments, we all felt connected – united in our anger and desire for change.

I think this incident has ignited so much rage and touched so many people.

Often in our society, many people tend to blame the victim. They say ‘why was she out with a guy?’ or ‘why was she wearing that dress?’ or ‘why was she out at that hour in the night?’

It is reprehensible to hold a woman accountable for the man’s actions in any case. Now many of us are wondering who will people blame?

It’s time we as a society took a step back and asked ourselves this question: whose fault is rape, really?

Courtesy: BBC