Voice 9, New Delhi Bureau: President Droupadi Murmu's resolute responses
emerged in light of the recent heinous rape and murder of a 31-year-old on-duty
junior doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Reflecting on
this tragic event, the President conveyed to PTI her profound dismay and
horror.
President Droupadi Murmu, in her poignant reflections on the escalating rate
of crimes against women, emphasized the urgent need for India to confront the
"perversion" inherent in such acts and challenge the prevailing
notion of women's inferiority.
In a personalized discourse titled "Women’s Safety: A Call to
Action," the President for the first time vocalized her stance on the
August 9 Kolkata tragedy, where a young female doctor was savagely assaulted
and killed at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Expressing her distress over
the incident, President Murmu reiterated her shock and dismay.
Sufficient is sufficient. No civilized society can tolerate the
brutalization of its daughters and sisters," lamented the president
regarding crimes against women.
"The nation is poised for indignation, and so am I," she penned.
Stressing the imperative for societal transformation to eradicate violence
against women, Murmu asserted, "Society must engage in candid, impartial
self-reflection, posing challenging inquiries to itself," and added,
"In the twelve years post-Nirbhaya, numerous rape cases have faded from
societal memory. This 'collective amnesia' is repugnant."
Highlighting the deep-rooted patriarchal mindset fueling the abhorrent
misogyny, the President remarked, "Frequently, a 'deplorable mindset'
perceives women as inferior beings, lacking in power, capability, and
intellect. Those harboring such beliefs often reduce women to mere objects...
We owe it to our daughters to eliminate the obstacles hindering their pursuit
of freedom from fear."
"Societies reluctant to confront their past resort to collective
amnesia; it is time for India to confront its history head-on. Let us address
this perversion comprehensively to nip it in the bud," she urged.
Recalling a recent encounter with schoolchildren on Raksha Bandhan, Murmu
shared, "Innocently, they inquired whether they could be guaranteed a
future devoid of incidents akin to Nirbhaya." The President referenced the
brutal rape and murder of a physiotherapy intern in Delhi in December 2012.
"In the twelve years since, numerous tragedies of a similar nature have
unfolded, albeit receiving limited national attention. Have we imbibed the
necessary lessons? As public outcry waned, these incidents faded into the
recesses of societal memory, resurfacing only with each subsequent heinous
crime," Murmu reflected.
