Joydeep Sarkar 
Kolkata: West Bengal’s grandest festival began this year amid an unusual atmosphere of protest. As Bengalis followed the age-old tradition of listening to Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s Mahishashur Mardini recitation on Mahalaya morning, thousands also gathered along the Ganges to float diyas, demanding justice for the R.G. Kar victim.
In place of the usual festive sounds, the air resonated with slogans: “We want the destruction of oppressive forces; this is our festival pledge.” A front-page article by the doctor’s mother on the highest circulated daily in the state, Ananda Bazar Patrika set the sombre mood marked by grief and protest.
Meanwhile, hours after chief minister Mamata Banerjee marked the beginning of the Durga Puja festivities, doctors with stethoscopes around their necks walked in a mega procession on Wednesday (October 2), joined by thousands of citizens including former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Jawhar Sircar, who resigned in protest against the state government’s inaction in the R.G. Kar rape and murder case.
“Our movement is not just for justice in the R.G. Kar case but also against the anarchy plaguing the healthcare system across the state. We demand an end to the threat-culture,” said Dr. Asfakulla Naiya, a leader of the ongoing movement of junior doctors.
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Despite multiple calls by chief minister Banerjee to participate in the festivities, a large section of the society remains defiant. The festival, traditionally a time of joy and celebration, has become a battleground for political expression and censorship with numerous community Durga Pujas in West Bengal reportedly facing backlash for their criticism of the state administration and refusing the state grant.
“There is a mass awakening against injustice. The BJP-led central government’s attempts to postpone the R.G. Kar case in the Supreme Court only show who they are trying to protect. We will not give up,” said Debjani Dasgupta, a protester, criticising the Union government.
The junior doctors at R.G. Kar Hospital also unveiled a sculpture, titled “Cry of the Hour,” near the principal’s office. Created by artist Asit Sain, the statue depicts a weeping woman, symbolising the victim’s immense pain and suffering in her final moments. While the image of the victim’s father embracing the sculpture has deeply moved many, it has also sparked controversy.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh criticised the statue, claiming it violates Supreme Court guidelines regarding the identification of victims.
“The installation of this statue in the name of Tilottama is against the spirit of the Supreme Court pronouncement. No responsible person can do that. Not even in the name of art. There will be protests, demands for justice. But the statue with the girl’s face of pain is not right. There are guidelines in the country called Nigrahita’s pictures, idols,” Ghosh wrote on X.
The artist and junior doctors, however, emphasised that the sculpture is symbolic and does not reveal the victim’s identity.
“When I heard about the horrific incident at R.G. Kar, I was deeply shaken. The face of that young woman kept haunting me. So, I started working on a sculpture. Once the sculpture was complete, I contacted a few junior doctors, including Kinjal, and offered to give it to them. There was no question of any remuneration or honorarium. It’s a creation of my imagination. I am part of the movement for justice,” said Sain.
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Political analyst, Vishwanath Chakraborty underlined that the TMC’s attempts to “suppress these protests” have only “fueled the fire”.
“While it’s true that the number of protesters has diminished since the night of August 14, it’s also true that people have been continuously demonstrating for nearly two months. The ruling party’s attempts to suppress these protests have only fueled the fire. We haven’t seen such a large-scale anti-government movement in the state for decades,” Chakraborty said.
Graffiti has adorned the city’s streets, and in some neighbourhoods, celebratory drums and dhunuchi dance have become symbols of defiance. At least two Durga Puja organisers had made a bold statement by displaying replicas of the human spine as a mark of protest. However, under pressure from the ruling establishment, these installations were forced to be removed.
The house of the deceased doctor, once a place of Puja celebration, now stands desolate, with protesters demanding justice right outside, screaming, “We want justice for the girl from our neighbourhood.”
Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya.