New Dawn for Women’s Freedom this Independence Day
A powerful call to action for women’s freedom and safety, urging a united stand against violence, greed, and injustice. This Independence Day, let’s promise to build a world where every woman can live with dignity and security.
I pen this article today not with my usual dose of humour, but with a heart heavy with the weight of our present reality. The world we once knew—a world that extended compassion, respect, and kindness to one another, the world which enjopyed freedom—seems to be slipping through our fingers. A world where we revered the divine feminine in the forms of Durga, Kali, and Mother Mary, where we followed the teachings of Aisha, wife of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). I ask you, where is that world today?
We aspire to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We dream of a world where safety is not a privilege, but a given—where men, women, children, and even the animals and plants can exist without fear. There is room in this world for everyone, and the earth is bountiful enough to provide for all. But what good is this abundance if half of humanity—the women—cannot walk freely in it?
We envision a world where life can be free and beautiful, not just for men, but for women too. A world where a woman can step out at any hour, confident in her safety. A world where, if one falls, ten hands are there to lift her up. A world where roses replace guns, and where people turn to books instead of war.
Yet, in the world we face today, greed has poisoned men’s souls. It has turned some into rapists and others into lynch mobs, driven by hatred and intolerance. Violence festers in the very fabric of our society, and if we do not change course, all will be lost. The internet and mobile technology have brought us closer, connecting us in ways once unimaginable. But what do we use it for? To spread filth, to degrade, to watch porn instead of uplifting one another.
This must end. Today, I call upon all of us to promise—no longer shall we be victims of greed, dogmatism, and fanaticism. We must rid ourselves of the bitterness that holds us back, that festers in our minds and shackles our progress. Within each of us lies the love of humanity, a love with the power to create rather than destroy, to bring happiness rather than misery. We, the people, have the power to make life free and beautiful, to turn it into a magnificent adventure.
So, in the name of humanity, let us unite our strength. Let us demand justice for every woman who has been a victim of rage and violence. Let us come together and fight for a new world—a decent world that will offer us all a second chance.
For the sake of our daughters, our mothers, our sisters, and ourselves, let us not settle for anything less than equality, safety, and happiness. The time to act is now. Together, we can build the world we dream of—a world where every woman can live with dignity, where her worth is celebrated, and where her safety is guaranteed.
WHY IS A WOMEN STILL NOT SAFE……
Swami Vivekananda once urged us, “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.” What unfolded in India at the stroke of midnight today, was nothing short of the sheer might of ordinary people, united across the divides of religion, language, and political creed, standing shoulder to shoulder to express their collective fury. History has taught us that when tyranny oversteps its bounds, the people inevitably rise to meet it head-on. The dawn of this Independence Day brought with it a clear message—that the women of India has reclaimed the night.
“এত লোক কেন মা?” ছোট্ট পুতুলের প্রশ্ন। পুতুল মুদিয়ালির রেললাইনের পাশের বস্তিতে থাকে, কিংবা নিউ টাউনের বহুতলে, নাকি সাউথ সিটির পাশে ছোট্ট চায়ের দোকানের ভেতরে ঘুমায়? তা সঠিক জানা নেই, কিন্তু যেটা পুতুলের মা জানে সেটা হল আজ আর ভয় নেই, আমাদের শহর জেগেছে, জেগেছে একটা ভয়ংকর রাতের পর যে রাতে এক ছোট্ট পুতুলকে কিছু জানোয়াররা নিশংসভাবে ধর্ষণ করেছিল আর তারপর সেই ছোট্ট পুতুলের জীবন কেড়ে নিয়েছিল।
আজ শহরবাসী জেগেছে, জেগেছে সেই ছোট্ট পুতুলের মৃত্যুর প্রতিবাদ জানাতে। ঠিক যেরকম হাজার হাজার বার এই শহর প্রতিবাদ করেছে । যতবার ছোট্ট পুতুলদের নির্যাতনা শিকার হতে হবে আমরা প্রতিবাদ করব। এবং ততদিন অবধি থামবো না যতদিন অব্দি আমরা একটা সুস্থ সমাজ গড়ে তুলতে না পারি।
হাজার হাজার কলরবের মধ্যে পুতুলের মা বলে উঠলো “জাস্টিস ফর আর জি কর”। ঠিক তারপর যা ঘটলো তার প্রত্যাশা কেউ করেনি। একটা ইটের টুকরো এসে পুতুলের মায়ের মাথায় লাগলো……..
A significant disturbance erupted at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata during the early hours of Thursday, as the ongoing ‘Reclaim the Night’ protests against the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor spiralled into violence. Unidentified miscreants infiltrated the state-run hospital’s premises shortly after midnight, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake, according to police reports.
The incident occurred around 12.40am when a group of nearly 40 individuals, allegedly masked as protestors, stormed into the hospital grounds. These miscreants, in a fit of wanton fury, vandalised hospital property and hurled stones at the police personnel present, igniting a series of clashes that culminated in the firing of teargas to disperse the unruly mob.
The incident has left both the medical community and the public in shock, as the tragic circumstances surrounding the trainee doctor’s death have now been compounded by the chaos at RG Kar Hospital. The authorities are now investigating the identity of the individuals responsible for the attack, amid growing concerns that the peaceful protests could be further marred by similar acts of violence.
You can knock one down, you can knock two, but what you can’t do is snuff out our spirit—the indomitable spirit of Calcutta. The courage that runs through the veins of this city is something history has witnessed time and again. That’s Calcutta for you—resilient to the core.
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