Tilottoma Stand joins the City’s Struggle for Justice
Amid mass protests over the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata, the city witnesses fierce public outcry, including the rise of the all-women ‘Tilottoma Toto Stand’.
For more than a month, the fierce and spontaneous mass agitation that has gripped the major thoroughfares and crucial intersections of Calcutta over the ghastly rape and murder of a young junior doctor (renamed as Tilottoma) at the state-run R G Kar Medical College & Hospital, is adding new feathers to its leaf almost on a regular basis.
Denouncing the draconian murder and an alleged dilution of the case in the Supreme Court of India, people from various walks of life have dared police to take action for openly criticising the court. In contrast, supporters and sympathisers of the ruling clique in West Bengal have sporadically begun to bare their fangs to either nip the protests and protesters in the bud or mount counter-campaigns in the social media that would work as deterrent to sweeping proliferation of public outpouring of anger and angst in Whatsapp, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Messenger and other apps.
Amidst reports that Calcutta Police Commissioner Vinit Goel might shortly issue orders restraining assembly of people at strategic city junctions and crossroads, the authorities have resorted to parrot the hackneyed alibi of “blame-gaming” and asserting that the state government “is ready for talks” without actually initiating any measures to alleviate the doctors’ grievances.
However, the latest feather that got added today, notwithstanding some bouts of scuffles and threats of dire consequences, was an all-women Toto Stand in the precincts of Dum Dum Railway Cantonment station, about 35 kms southeast of the city.
A batch of a dozen women who managed to purchase Totos, a kind of e-rickshaws that have replaced old cycle rickshaws in various parts of Salt Lake, city and its neighbourhood, have dared to defy threats and come under the banner of Bangla Poksho, an NGO to formally start plying from an abandoned-but-refurbished Mini Bus stand.
“We approached earlier some ladies in the locality who were plying their Totos from various places,” said Mr Arpan Ghosh, one of the Poksho spokespersons. “Once we arranged the consent of nearly a dozen ladies, we were awaiting an opportune occasion to launch our self-help drive for women.”
“And Tilottoma’s sudden and tragic death provided the trigger. We managed to clean the abandoned bus stand and fixed today (9/11) for its inauguration having named it Tilottoma Toto Stand.”
But little could Mr Ghosh or the lady Toto owners imagine that they would incur the wrath of the local goons who, having been pushed to the wall, have developed an uncanny abhorrence for anything that would have to do with the diseased Tilottoma.
The scheduled inauguration was marred by scuffles and threats from the goons who swooped down in the area from nearby places and damaged two Totos. The panick-stricken ladies initially hurried for cover, but shortly returned with locals joining forces.
This time fisticuffs were replaced by heated arguments and threats of acid bulbs that would be rained on the lady operators. But the latter refused to be browbeaten and stuck to their ground, forcing the invaders to retreat.
“And the entire fracas happened right in front of police who stood by in stunning silence,” alleged Mr Ghosh. “What is also shocking is that the goons were echoing their top leader who claimed and termed Tilottoma’s death as a trifling incident,” recalled a bystander.
However, having braved all this, the batch of lady Toto operators first shouted for justice of the rape and murder victim (Tilottoma) and then started plying the totos with flying colours.
In another development which is quite interesting, female workers and those engaged in messaging in Ladies’ Parlours or Salons in the city and adjoining neighbourhood have been caught in a fix. They are snatching opportunities to join the rallies in full steam to protest the brutal death & rape; but wrinkles of worry and doubt have also started boggling them down.
Botox, Keratin, Smoothening, Hair Straightening, Body & Hair Spa, Nail Art and Manicure -–the assortment of these services that one can avail in such Salons always remain choc a bloc before the Pujas. “This year, customers are strikingly less even though Pujas are barely three weeks away. And we are afraid this trend isn’t going to reverse,” claims Rupa Sarkar.
Rupa and other regulars in one of the prominent malls in central Calcutta are extremely worried. Footfalls have trickled down in their saloon to such an extent that they, in consultation with the owner, have floated attractive packages. “Young ladies who are crowding in front of the Mall to take part in the protest rallies, have so far shied away from us. The situation has further worsened in the wake of the chief minister’s appeal to people to return to Utsav (read Durgotsav)”, regrets Rupa.
With the junior doctors declining to budge from their stand of indefinite sit-in till their demands are met, a pall of uncertainty looms large over West Bengal, triggering a huge question mark whether goddess Durga would turn her trip tinged with a hue of anguish and woe.
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