Kolkota's largest festival celelebrates the goddess Durga. But those angered by the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in August are using Durga Puja to protest.
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00:00This is the most festive time of the year, but I feel I am in the mourning period.
00:12My name is Dr. Shobhadipa Chakravarti and I am a doctor in the city of Kolkata.
00:20During this time there is festivity all around.
00:22Usually Durga Puja is celebrated here, where Goddess Durga is celebrated as a symbolic
00:27work of women empowerment and people go around from pandal to pandal.
00:31And pandals are basically the festive installations of Goddess Durga, where people actually visit
00:36to worship Goddess Durga.
00:39All the different pandals have different themes, which are usually centered around any social
00:43issues that is pertinent to the relevant conditions of the society.
00:47So the main social issue that is pertinent right now is demanding justice for Abhaya.
00:53The moment I walked into this pandal and looked at this installation, I am literally
00:57reminded of the horrific incident that took place on August 9th, 2024.
01:13We can see that the head of the lion is hung down in shame and even Goddess Durga is covering
01:19her face to represent how shameful this heinous crime had been and Abhaya is lying down in
01:25front of her.
01:34Indian women are not very secure in the society.
01:36Specifically if I talk about the pathetic condition of my state, even our workplaces
01:42which are considered to be our second home are not secure.
01:45If the girls are not feeling safe and secure in their workplaces, then what can be worse
01:50than that?
01:51So it's two months already and we are still occupying the streets and we are walking down
01:57the streets in demand of justice.
01:59And probably in the entire history of India, this is the first protest specifically governing
02:04the women's security, demanding the women's security.
02:06This is the first protest that's longing for so long.
02:10Maybe we are fighting against a barbaric system.
02:13Maybe we are fighting against a corrupted society, but still we have to keep our hopes
02:17high.
02:18We have to keep fighting till the end.
02:21This spine actually reminds me of the time when we started our protest and we actually
02:25gifted an actual spine to the police personnel to remind them of the fact that they should
02:30actually keep their spine straight while chasing the rapists rather than covering up for them.
02:39I want a country where I won't be dictated.
02:42I won't be taught how to behave in public.
02:44I shouldn't be afraid to go out alone in the night.
02:49I shouldn't be afraid to go out without a male friend or someone.
02:52We want this society to change into a better one, a society where Goddess Durga is being
02:57worshipped.
02:58The women should also be respected in a similar fashion, otherwise there is no point in worshipping
03:03Goddess Durga and disrespecting the women.