The June 25 gang rape of a 24-year-old law student at South Calcutta Law College has once again pulled back the curtain on the deep-rooted crisis of sexual violence in India-particularly within institutions meant to uphold justice and protect young minds. The disturbing case, involving two senior students and an alumnus-Monojit Mishra, a former student leader affiliated with the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-allegedly unfolded within the very premises of the college, a place that should embody safety and learning. That a security guard reportedly witnessed the incident and failed to act only adds to the horror. What intensifies the public’s frustration is the response-or lack thereof-from political leadership. While the ruling party issued condemnations, some leaders made deeply irresponsible remarks. One TMC MLA suggested the victim was to blame for entering the college alone, while another MP posed the question, “What can be done if a friend rapes a friend?” Such statements do more than offend-they normalize a culture of silence and shift blame onto survivors. The visit by National Commission for Women chairperson Archana Majumder, marked by allegations of police non-cooperation, only exacerbated public skepticism. Transparency, it seems, remains elusive-even in the wake of profound trauma. This is not an isolated tragedy. It echoes the August 9, 2024 case at RG Kar Medical College, where a medical intern was brutally assaulted and murdered. Despite public outrage and one conviction, suspicions still linger that others involved may have walked free. The parallels between these two cases are chilling: both involve failures in institutional oversight, both expose societal callousness, and both spotlight an alarming pattern of political interference in the pursuit of justice. These political dismissals are not new. Mamata Banerjee herself has a history of making remarks that appear to blame victims rather than addressing the root causes of sexual violence. In 2012, speaking about the February 6,2012 Park Street rape of a mother of two, she controversially attributed the rise in rape cases to increased social interaction between men and women, likening modern relationships to “an open market with open options.” When public leaders make light of or distort the gravity of sexual violence, it erodes faith in governance and emboldens perpetrators. These are not merely poor choices of words-they reflect an institutional mindset that prioritizes damage control over accountability. What West Bengal-and the nation at large-needs now is not just symbolic outrage or perfunctory promises, but meaningful change. That begins with clear protocols for educational institutions: swift legal action, survivor-centric support systems, and an absolute intolerance for any form of victim-blaming. It also calls for comprehensive reform in police accountability and public discourse. Most importantly, it demands a cultural reckoning. Politicians must unlearn the language of complicity and confront the uncomfortable truths about gender, power, and impunity that allow these crimes to persist. Unfortunately, in West Bengal, the ruling party-TMC- has shed any sense of accountability as it regains power through vote bank politics. The fight for justice goes beyond holding on to power or one courtroom verdict. It is about reclaiming institutions, reshaping societal attitudes, and reaffirming the dignity and safety of every individual. Until then, each act of violence will not just scar a victim-it will scar our collective conscience.
Monday, June 30, 2025