Kolkata, India–Streets in Kolkata and nearby districts are set to fill once again on the night of August 14 as activists, doctors, and citizens mark the first anniversary of the rape and murder of a young trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Under the banner Raat Dokhol – or Reclaim the Night – organisers say the demonstrations will run from 9pm on August 14 until dawn on Independence Day, echoing the mass vigils that swept West Bengal last year after the killing.
“We will raise our voice for women’s rights and demand justice for our beloved daughter,” said Shatabdi Das, convener of the Raat Dokhol Oikko Mancha, a coalition of rights groups and cultural organisations. “Songs, plays, and films will help carry our message.”
The Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD) says vigils will take place in Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, and Hooghly. “The people will once again reclaim the night and fill the streets with their demand,” said JPD convenor Dr Punyabrata Goon. Left-wing youth groups, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), have announced sit-ins, marches, and overnight protests. DYFI state secretary Dhrubajyoti Saha said members were prepared to relaunch continuous demonstrations if justice remains elusive.
The killing on August 9, 2024, shocked India and sparked criticism of authorities over the investigation. Activists allege the victim’s body was removed without the family’s consent and cremated hastily, fuelling public anger. For organisers, this year’s events are both a memorial and a message: that women’s safety remains a fight waged in the open, and the night belongs to them.
