NEW DELHI: Indian doctors announced on Friday that they would escalate nationwide protests and strikes in response to the rape and murder of a colleague, an incident that has reignited widespread anger over persistent violence against women in the country.
The gruesome discovery of the 31-year-old doctor’s battered body on August 9 in a state-run hospital in Kolkata has led to protests across the nation.
Suvrankar Datta, speaking from the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, declared, “We are intensifying our protests to demand justice for our colleague.”
In a show of solidarity, medical staff in government hospitals across several states ceased elective services indefinitely starting Monday. The action is supported by multiple medical unions from both government and private sectors.
Additionally, thousands of people marched in Kolkata late Wednesday night, holding a candlelight vigil that coincided with the onset of India’s Independence Day celebrations, to denounce the violent act.
The Indian Medical Association has called for a “nationwide withdrawal of services” for 24 hours beginning Saturday, during which all non-essential medical procedures at private hospitals will be suspended.
Reports from Indian media suggest that the murdered doctor was discovered in the seminar hall of the teaching hospital, where she likely sought a brief rest during a long shift.
An autopsy confirmed she had been sexually assaulted, and her parents, suspecting their daughter was gang-raped, have petitioned the court for justice, as per NDTV.
This tragic event has underscored the severe issue of sexual violence in India, a country where, despite being home to 1.4 billion people, nearly 90 rapes are reported daily, highlighting a systemic crisis.
