President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday expressed profound dismay and outrage over the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, marking her first public comments on the horrific crime that has shaken the nation. In a statement to news agency PTI, the President said “enough is enough” and urged the society to confront the pervasive violence against women with renewed urgency.
The President’s remarks come amid nationwide protests ignited by the discovery of the 31-year-old doctor’s body at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The incident has sparked widespread anger, drawing citizens from all walks of life to demand justice and systemic change.
President Murmu condemned the persistent threat posed by criminals, noting that even as protests erupted in Kolkata, “criminals remained on the prowl elsewhere”.
She further emphasised that “no civilised society can allow daughters and sisters to be subjected to such atrocities,” thereby calling for “honest, unbiased self-introspection” to address the deep-rooted causes of these heinous crimes.
The President denounced the “deplorable mindset” that continues to view women as inferior, lamenting the “collective amnesia” that has plagued Indian society since the 2012 Nirbhaya case. She highlighted the troubling tendency to forget the countless rapes that have occurred over the years, stating, “This collective amnesia is obnoxious”.
Urging the nation to confront its history of violence against women head-on, the President called for a comprehensive approach to eradicate this ‘perversion’ from its roots.
The Kolkata incident has also renewed scrutiny of the government’s handling of crimes against women, with growing public dissatisfaction over the effectiveness of current measures. While a civic volunteer has been detained in connection with the case, the victim’s family alleges that it was a gang rape involving multiple perpetrators.
In response to the outcry, the Supreme Court has ordered the formation of a National Task Force to investigate and enhance security measures for healthcare workers, describing the incident as one that has “shocked the conscience of the nation”.
First Published: Aug 28 2024 | 4:26 PM IST
