Kolkata rape-murder victim’s statue unveiled at RG Kar hospital, sparks row

A controversy has erupted over the installation of a statue of a trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August, by protesting junior doctors of the medical facility.
The statue, named ‘Cry of the Hour’, depicts the anguish and horror of the victim in the last minutes of her life, according to the artist, Asit Sain. The bust, installed on a pedestal, shows a woman crying and was put near the building that houses the office of RG Kar’s principal.

(Photo: India Today)

“This statue is not of the victim, but a symbol of pain and torture she went through and the ongoing protests,” a junior doctor of the hospital told reporters.
However, the installation of the trainee doctor’s statue has been slammed by many on social media, calling it “disrespectful” and “disturbing”.
“Want her statue to be erected? Do it with anything other than it being her agonised face or whatever. Whatever the f*** this is, is highly disturbing,” a user tweeted.
“Speechless at how insensitive this is. To have one’s pain immortalised, to only be known for being sexually violated. I hope this disgusting statue is destroyed,” another one wrote.
“The doctors of this country are so tone-deaf. Why would you ever create a statue like this based on a rape victim,” another said.
Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh also slammed the doctors over installing the trainee doctor’s statue, saying it was against the guidelines of the Supreme Court for revealing the victim’s name and identity.
“No responsible person can do that. Not even in the name of art. There will be protests and demands for justice. But the statue is not right with the face of the girl in pain. There are guidelines not to use victim’s pictures or statues,” he tweeted.
However, Dr Debdutt of RG Kar hospital said, “We have not broken any rules or neglected the court’s order. This is just a symbolic sculpture and we don’t want to depict only her. We want to show the authorities what had happened and how she had suffered. We will continue to fight for justice.”
The junior doctors have been on a ceasework since Tuesday, accusing the West Bengal government of failing to fulfil promises made in mid-September, including the need for enhanced safety and security in hospitals. They are also protesting against the rape and murder of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at the RG Kar hospital on August 9.
Although the doctors had partially resumed services after 42 days of the strike, they went back to ceasework, alleging that key demands such as enhanced safety measures for medical staff were not implemented.
Among the key demands raised by the Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front are the installation of CCTV cameras on hospital premises, round-the-clock security for healthcare workers, and stricter protocols to prevent similar incidents of violence against medical professionals.