Written by Intern and Guest Contributor Divya Rawat

TRIGGER WARNING: This piece talks about issues around rape and murde

This piece highlights the importance of advocating for women’s rights and change in India.

At R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, a trainee doctor named Moumita Debnath was brutally raped and murdered in the college on the 9^th of August 2024. Her body was discovered in the seminar room on campus.

This incident has sparked outrage both nationwide and international. Several doctors and other people are protesting nationwide in India and they demand a full investigation. This incident has sparked debate on the safety of doctors and women in India – a lingering issue that plagues India’s record on gender violence.

Rapes have been increasing in India in recent years. The latest case of the young female doctor in Calcutta is one such example which leads us to ask the question as to why there have been so many rape cases in India.

I had the privilege to interview Dr Darshan Sachdev OAM who is the President of AIMGA (Australian Indian Medical Graduates Association Inc.) about this incident and what he thinks the perceptions from the Indian diaspora are on this issue. 

Recent rape cases that have been reported in India over recent years have a tendency to be violent and brutal which leads to the question about why and what has changed in Indian society that has resulted in such devastating and brutal cases of violence against women.

“It’s the Indian people and their attitude towards women”, Dr Sachdev stated.

“They treat women like second class citizens. We need to educate the youth more on these matters”. 

Many of these rape and murder cases have been getting a lot of media attention and support from the people in India, but this does not equate to the legal systems, where it appears to still lag behind in ensuring the perpetrators of gender violence are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 

For Dr Sachdev, this rings true and he indicated how India’s court and legal systems are outdated and require immediate change. 

“They must pass a bill, protecting the doctors and nurses. In Kerala, where a doctor was killed, they passed a bill. The courts must change and the system needs a complete overhaul. The cases must be resolved in a quick, timely, and in an efficient manner”. 

With such cases of brutality in violence against women in India, justice needs to be quick and swift to ensure that victims of rape and/or murder can rest at peace and families can get some type of closure. The question of whether the Indian Central government needs to take action to hasten these cases was posed to Dr Sachdev, who agrees that this issue needs to be politicised and the government needs to take gender violence more seriously.

“The politicians say if we protect the doctor’s then we have to protect the architects, bankers, construction workers etc, which is ridiculous”, said Dr Sachdev.

“Government has to put more money in the bill, “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (Save the girl child, Educate the girl child). More girls will be saved rather than be killed, and more of them will be educated – this needs to be a focus for the Indian government”. 

Change needs to happen and there needs to be more of a coordinated approach between community, law enforcement and the legal system in India in how rape cases are dealt with. Issues of evidence tampering from outsiders is a major issue and this happens when police stand by mute all the while.  This question was posed to Dr Sachdev in terms of ensuring this negligence will cease to happen. 

“Police department needs to change and needs to take more action. They need to protect the doctor’s and students from the goons/outside evildoers. They should also prevent the goons/outside evildoers from tampering with evidence and keep them away from the medical college”, Dr Sachdev discussed. 

How can we make India safe for women and girls in general?  What needs to be done to change the mindset of the youth, especially young boys who grow up in environments where they are taught that they are entitled and can get away with everything.

“We need to educate the youth to respect girls and women, both at home and in school. We need to teach the boys and men that there are consequences for their actions in mistreating both girls and women alike”, said Dr Sachdev.

Finally, the issue of safety and feeling safe is important to highlight. Change needs to happen to  make India safer for both girls and women. There is still a major disconnect between the safety of girls and women and approaching the police when in trouble, and this has to change. 

Education for both the youth and police on issues around gender violence, rape and sexual assault needs to happen, and the Indian police needs to learn how to create a safe environment for girls and women. Dr Sachdev and other doctors have written a letter about this pressing issue to the honourable PM Modi and the Indian health minister. 

Divya Rawat is a writer based in Sydney. She holds a Diploma in Screen and Media (Journalism) and has experience in different types of media including writing news articles, editing videos, audios, conducting interviews etc. She has freelanced with local magazines and written articles for media outlets such as Fiji Times India Magazine.