Kolkata: A controversy has emerged in Kolkata over a bust installed to honor the junior doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Hospital in August.
While many support the tribute, critics, including Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh, have condemned it as "disrespectful" to the victim’s memory, calling the installation "disgusting" and inappropriate. The issue has sparked debate about how best to honor the deceased.
The fibreglass bust, titled "Abhaya: Cry of the Hour", was created by sculptor Bhaskar Sai and installed at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital. It portrays a woman in intense agony, depicted with her head thrown back and eyes wide open, seemingly screaming.
The fiberglass bust, "Abhaya: Cry of the Hour", was installed Wednesday morning at RG Kar Hospital following a protest march by junior doctors from various city medical colleges.
The installation coincided with Mahalaya, a significant day marking the transition from the inauspicious pitri paksha to devi paksha, leading up to Durga Puja.
Doctors participating in the nearly two-month-long protest against the horrific crime at RG Kar Hospital clarified that the bust, "Abhaya: Cry of the Hour", is not meant to represent the victim directly. Instead, it symbolizes the pain and suffering she endured and serves as a reflection of the ongoing protests. Among their demands is increased security on hospital campuses to prevent such incidents in the future.
Some welcomed the bust; one X user, @senktk1979, suggested it may be "required as we humans forget everything... (this will not) allow us to forget this incident"
Mr Ghosh posted on X that "the installation of this statue in the name of Tilottama (the sobriquet given to the murdered doctor) 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 and demands for justice but the statue with the girl's face of pain is not right," he said.
Last month the Supreme Court ordered free online database Wikipedia to remove the name and photo of the doctor; the site had identified the doctor in an entry about the shocking RG Kar killing.
Indian laws prohibit the release of rape victims' identities. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud led a bench that reminded the Wikimedia Foundation of this law. The bench stated, "The victim's identity should not be revealed in any way. Wikipedia should immediately remove any photo and content that reveals her identity," and directed the deletion of such content from social media.
On Tuesday, doctors protesting the RG Kar killing resumed their 'indefinite' strike, once again pressing for demands that include ensuring their safety at all hospitals and clinics in the state.
They also criticized the "slow-paced" CBI investigation, stating, "We have seen many times before... CBI has been unable to reach conclusions and has allowed real culprits to go free due to delays..."
Ten days ago, the junior doctors ended their month-long protest after meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. They resumed essential and emergency services but did not work in outpatient departments. They gave the state government a week to meet their demands.
The junior doctor was discovered deceased in a seminar room of the hospital early on August 9. The killing led to furious protests and was likened to the Nirbhaya rape and murder in Delhi in December 2012..
The CBI took over the case after being ordered by the Calcutta High Court. This happened after the court overruled a deadline for the police that was set by the Chief Minister
. The CBI has arrested Dr. Sandip Ghosh, who was the chief of RG Kar Hospital at the time, before he resigned, claiming "moral responsibility."
Ghosh has been arrested in connection with alleged financial irregularities in running the hospital. He has been subjected to extensive interrogation and a lie-detector test. The CBI has also taken into custody a civilian volunteer with Kolkata Police, Sanjoy Roy, who is the prime accused.
The doctor's murder has ignited a major political dispute, placing significant pressure on the Trinamool and the Chief Minister from the opposition BJP and civil society activists.
Input from various sources
(Rehash/Simran Sethi/MSM)
