ONE OF THE BJP’s major accusations against Mamata Banerjee is that she is “soft” on crimes against women, in particular the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at the state-government-run R.G. Kar Medical College. Banerjee faced flak as not only the chief minister, but also the health minister.
The victim’s parents joined the BJP in March to seek justice—though one person has been convicted, they believe there is a larger conspiracy. The victim’s mother, Ratna Debnath, is contesting from Panihati. “Her party has threatened us in all ways,” said Debnath. “We are unable to say anything. They even read the mantra at her prayer meet. They told us to take Rs4 crore and move away from the matter. After that, they say I have taken Rs10 crore to join the BJP. What will I do with the money? I had a house that was my daughter’s dream.”
The family believes it can get justice by fighting politically, as all other options are closed. “Everyone is standing by us,” said the father. “The main issue is that corruption and misgovernance have reached levels that the common man has no experience of. Today, despite the matter being on the list 48 times in the Calcutta High Court, it has not been heard even once.”
The family is not shy of taking on the chief minister. “There is no point in me being alive without getting justice,” said Debnath. “I brought up my daughter through a lot of difficulty. She was brilliant and had become a good doctor. I lost my daughter, the country lost a good doctor. The incidents that took place even after that left us in fear of speaking our minds. This fear has been instilled in people, this threat culture is being [promoted] by the chief minister.”
The only reason the family looked beyond its small tailoring business is to oust Banerjee. “She is extremely scared,” said the father. “After we came in, she has become more scared. She has to be removed considering the atmosphere in Bengal now. It is not impossible. If someone fights with their spine straight, they can remove someone spineless like her.”
Asked about the rape cases in Hathras and Unnao, which happened in a BJP-ruled state, the family was diplomatic and focused on their own quest for justice. “That night when she was attacked and she understood that they would not leave her alive, that she would not be able to see her parents, I am unable to imagine that pain she suffered on her own. My daughter’s fight is tougher than my fight. I will keep fighting,” Debnath said with tears in her eyes. “I have kept her in my heart. She is always with me. If I think she is no more, I will not be able to survive.”