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Tens of thousands of people participated in a “Reclaim the Night” march in the Indian city of Kolkata on Wednesday night to protest against last week’s rape and murder of a trainee doctor. <\/b><\/p>\n
The march, largely led by women, demanded justice for the 31-year-old victim who worked at the RG Kar Medical College. She was brutally attacked on Friday, sparking protests and anger across the country.<\/b><\/p>\n
Devalina Bose, 27, an intern at the same hospital, told the BBC that she joined the protest as she was hurt and angry because of what happened to her colleague.<\/b><\/p>\n
Here is Devalina in her own words.<\/b><\/p>\n
I\u2019m still traumatised by what happened to the victim. I struggle to sleep at night.<\/p>\n
I keep thinking about how just three weeks back, I had taken a short nap in a room just a few meters away from where the the rape and murder happened.<\/p>\n
I was tired that night after being on my feet for hours and I just wanted to take a nap. But the room didn\u2019t have a lock and so I couldn\u2019t bolt the door shut.<\/p>\n
I was alone in the room and, for a second, I worried about my safety.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
But then I pushed the thought out of my head because I told myself that my colleagues were close-by and nothing untoward could possibly happen to me in a hospital.<\/p>\n
But now, I don\u2019t feel this way anymore.<\/p>\n
Every time I\u2019m on shift, I catch myself looking over my shoulder, scanning the room for unsafe faces, voices\u2026 I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m looking for but I\u2019m always on the edge.<\/p>\n
What happened to her is just unimaginable. How could a doctor on duty be subjected to something so horrific? So inhuman?<\/p>\n
Doctors save people\u2019s lives. They give people a second – sometimes a third – lease on life.<\/p>\n
So last night, I joined all my colleagues on the street. My parents didn\u2019t want me to participate in the march because they were worried about my safety.<\/p>\n
But I told them that they should encourage me instead, because women have the right to be out in the streets at night and to feel safe.<\/p>\n
Women have the right to be anywhere they choose to, doing whatever they choose to, without having to worry about their safety. We have a right to the night like anybody else.<\/p>\n
That’s why I joined the protest. To mark this idea and to force people to see it, understand it and believe it.<\/p>\n
I saw so many people, of all ages, participate in the march.<\/p>\n
There were several generations of women out in the streets – grandmothers, mothers, daughters – holding placards, candles, shouting slogans for justice and change. Some were just walking along silently, perhaps soaking it all in.<\/p>\n
My female professors and staff from the hospital were also out to protest.<\/p>\n
People from the building I stay in were also participating in a march organised by our society.<\/p>\n
It was the first time I saw people I never thought would participate in a march in the night.<\/p>\n
I thought it was so special and so powerful.<\/p>\n
I walked along with my female friends and even though I attended just one protest march, I felt connected to the hundreds of marches being held simultaneously across the state.<\/p>\n
My friends from other places shared videos of their marches with me. I shared photos and videos of mine.<\/p>\n
In those few moments, we all felt connected – united in our anger and desire for change.<\/p>\n
I think this incident has ignited so much rage and touched so many people.<\/p>\n
Often in our society, many people tend to blame the victim. They say ‘why was she out with a guy?’ or ‘why was she wearing that dress?’ or ‘why was she out at that hour in the night?’<\/p>\n
It is reprehensible to hold a woman accountable for the man’s actions in any case. Now many of us are wondering who will people blame?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s time we as a society took a step back and asked ourselves this question: whose fault is rape, really?<\/p>\n
As told to Cherylann Mollan<\/i><\/p>\n
Devalina didn’t want her photo to be used in this piece<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n