On 14th August, left-liberals got irked by the calls to “blow the conch” during the “Reclaim The Night” event in Kolkata. In a post on Facebook, Jadavpur 8B Coordination Committee’s member Shalini Mitra “apologised” to the “Comrades” after a video message called for “blowing the conch” during the “Reclaim The Night” event.
She wrote, “URGENT. Comrades, Jadavpur 8B ‘Reclaim the Night’, the coordination committee is informing that WE DO NOT ENDORSE blowing conch shells as a part of this protest program. Our continuing fight is against Brahmanical/Manuvadi Patriarchy and we deeply regret and apologize for any miscommunication. –Jadavpur 8B, Coordination Committee”
The message came after a video message asking the women to take control of the night and fill the city with the sound of conch shells on 14th August 2024 at 11:55 PM. The text message written in Bengali in the video read, “Girls, take control of the night, fill the city with the sound of conch shells. 14th August 2024 11:55 PM. Either you come down to the streets, or stay with us by blowing the conch shells.”
To ,
— Subham. (@subhsays) August 14, 2024
The women of WB ,
Hit the streets tonight in your locality or blow the conch shells at 11:55 PM . Anything that works for you . Regards. pic.twitter.com/blSGPVcHoh
The ‘Reclaim The Night’ event and call for blowing conch
The event “Reclaim The Night” is being organised to raise awareness about the importance of safety for women at night given the recent RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Rape and Murder Case. On the night of 14th August, women in different cities are organising programs on the streets to “Reclaim The Night” calling out the administration to ensure the safety of women. The organisers of the event have claimed that it is a non-political event and have strictly asked the participants not to carry any symbol, flag, poster or placard that is anywhere linked to any political party.
Amidst the event calls, posters asking women to blow the conch surfaced on social media and it was shared by many netizens and celebrities including Bengali actress Swastika Mukherjee.
The call to blow the conch however has irked the left-liberals including the organisers. In a post, the organisers said, “From the “Reclaim The Night” program in Jadavpur, we did not call for any conch shell blowing. We do not support such religious activities. If you are unable to join this time, come next time. You can shout slogans from your balcony, sing songs, and continue your fight against rape culture in your own way, both inside and outside your home. Our fight is also against Brahmanical patriarchy. Our fight is against gender-based labour division. Our fight is to break the confinement of women within their homes and claim the entire sky, day and night. We hope you will join us in protest in your own way.”
RG Kar Medical College Rape and Murder Case
On 9th August, a semi-nude and brutalised body of a female PG trainee doctor was found inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. It is a government-run hospital. Following the discovery, her father had said that she was raped and killed inside the hospital, and efforts were underway to “conceal the truth.”
The doctor had dinner with four of her coworkers at 2:30 am that night after seeing Neeraj Chopra’s javelin throw event during the Paris Olympics. Afterwards, she went to the seminar hall to relax. The main accused in the case, Sanjay Roy, had access to every department as he worked at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital police outpost. He was not affiliated with the institution but often went there. CCTV evidence shows him entering the premises where the doctor was discovered, that led to his arrest on 10th August. He returned home after committing the horrifying act and slept in late. Roy also cleaned the outfit he wore to remove any evidence. The police recovered his bloodstained shoes during a search.
The Doctor was brutally tortured before she was suffocated to death, according to the post-mortem report. The four-page report stated that she had been strangled and that “perverted sexuality” and “genital torture” had resulted in a serious wounds in her private parts.
The Doctor’s thyroid cartilage was also shattered. A source stated that the rape and murder occurred on 9th August most likely between 3 and 5 am. Her lips, fingers, left leg, and abdomen were all covered with injuries.
According to sources, the Doctor’s head was slammed against a wall or the floor resulting in severe injuries and her mouth and nose were squeezed shut to stop the victim from shouting. The accused had reportedly beaten her up as she attempted to defend herself and resist. He then raped and killed her. According to the autopsy, the girl’s hands and face had cuts on them. Shards of glass from her spectacles broke and got into her eyes following an intense blow. The initial postmortem report ruled out suicide and stated that the trainee doctor had been sexually assaulted before being murdered.
On 13th August, Calcutta High Court came down heavily on West Bengal government for attempting to save principal of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
