There is a pervasive problem of sexual violence against women in India; many cases are considered to go unreported due to the stigma associated with female sexual assault and a lack of faith in the authorities.
Because of the rape and murder of a trainee medical practitioner, patients are being turned away from hospitals and clinics across India. This is in response to the fact that more than one million medical professionals are planning to go on strike.
According to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the 24-hour strike began at six in the morning local time, which is equivalent to one thirty in the morning UK time. As a result, non-emergency services, such as outpatient appointments and elective treatments, were cancelled.
As a result of the widespread walkout, hospitals were rendered inoperable, and personnel from medical institutions were sent in to assist with emergency situations.
As a result of the death of a trainee physician who was 31 years old, the strike was initiated. The body of the trainee doctor was discovered on August 9 at the college in Kolkata, where she worked.
However, the family of the victim believes that it was a gang rape and that there were more people involved than just the volunteer police officer who was detained.
Comparisons have been made between this event and the notorious rape and murder of a student that occurred on a bus in New Delhi, in the United States, in 2012.
During the demonstrations that took place on Friday near the parliament in the nation’s capital, as well as in other cities such as Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, individuals demanded harsher punishments and assurances that medical professionals would be secure.
The assault that resulted in the doctor’s death happened on Wednesday at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
In a statement on X, the International Medical Association (IMA) stated that “Doctors, particularly women, are vulnerable to violence because of the nature of the profession.”
“It is for the authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses.”
The National Crime Records Bureau states that there were 31,516 cases of rape reported in 2022, which is a 20% rise from 2021. This indicates that sexual assault against women and girls is a major problem in India.
As a result of the stigma associated with sexual assault and a lack of faith in the authorities, it is believed that many cases go unreported.
India’s central bureau of investigation is currently looking into the case involving the medical college in response to allegations that state government officials handled the case improperly.
According to a source within the police department, medical students as well as the principal of the school have been questioned.
During the same week, there have also been demonstrations in the state of Uttarakhand, which is located in the north of India, in response to the rape and murder of a nurse who was 33 years old, which took place in Rampur on August 1.
Stars from Bollywood and other celebrities in India have joined the growing chorus of people demanding harsher imprisonment terms.
In a speech that he delivered on Thursday to commemorate Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that “monstrous behaviour against women should be severely and promptly punished.”