New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has voiced her deep dismay and horror in her first public remarks regarding the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata earlier this month. Speaking to PTI, the President expressed her anguish over the crime saying “enough is enough” and urging society to confront the chronic issue of violence against women.
The President’s remarks come as nationwide protests continue in the wake of the discovery of the 31-year-old doctor’s body at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The case has ignited widespread outrage, with citizens from various walks of life joining the demonstrations.
President Murmu condemned the continued threat posed by criminals, even as the nation rallies in support of justice.
“Even as students, doctors and citizens were protesting in Kolkata, criminals remained on the prowl elsewhere,” PTI quoted President Murmu as saying.
“No civilised society can allow daughters and sisters to be subjected to such atrocities,” she added, stressing the need for “honest, unbiased self-introspection” within society to address the root causes of these heinous acts.
The President also spoke out against the “deplorable mindset” that often sees women as lesser beings—less powerful, less capable, and less intelligent. She lamented the “collective amnesia” that has plagued Indian society in the years since the 2012 Nirbhaya case, highlighting that countless rapes have been forgotten over time.
“This collective amnesia is obnoxious,” she said, urging the nation to face its history of violence against women squarely.
“Let us deal with this perversion in comprehensive manner to curb it right at the beginning,” President Murmu said.
The Kolkata incident has sparked renewed criticism of the government’s handling of crimes against women, with many questioning the efficacy of existing measures.
A civic volunteer has been detained in connection with the Kolkata case, but the victim’s family alleges that the crime was a gang rape involving multiple perpetrators.
The Supreme Court has since ordered a national task force to investigate how security for healthcare workers can be bolstered, describing the incident as one that has “shocked the conscience of the nation.”
