Failing Women hood: The Tragic Reality of Unsafe Workplaces!!
Kolkata was left in shock and horror when the life of a bright and promising young doctor was snuffed out in the most heinous of ways. A 31-year-old junior doctor at R.G. Kar Medical college and Hospital, she was found raped and murdered while on night duty. The brutality of the crime has sent ripples of fear and outrage through the city, highlighting once again the vulnerability of women, even in places that should be safe.
She was not just any doctor; she was the pride of her family, the only child of a father who had worked tirelessly to build a small garment business from his humble beginnings as a tailor. Her decision to specialize in respiratory medicine was born out of her desire to save lives, a calling she felt deeply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her dedication to her work and her bright future were cruelly cut short in a crime that has exposed the deep flaws in the systems meant to protect us.
In the aftermath of her death, questions are being raised not just about the safety of women working at night, but also about the response of the medical college authorities. Reports suggest that the very institution she served failed her in her darkest hour, adding insult to the grievous injury inflicted by her assailants.
This tragedy is not just a story of one woman’s life brutally taken; it is a reflection of a society that has failed its own. The people responsible for such horrors—the negligent authorities, the corrupt officials, the predators hiding in plain sight—are products of a system we have collectively built. In our choices, in our apathy, we have allowed this system to fester, leading to unspeakable tragedies like this.
As the city mourns the loss of a daughter, a brilliant doctor, and a woman with dreams and aspirations, we are left to confront the grim reality of our own complicity in creating a world where such horrors can occur. How many more lives must be lost before we take a stand? How many more families must be shattered before we demand better from those in power? The answers, it seems, are as elusive as the justice that this young doctor now deserves.