New Delhi, Aug 29: In a powerful statement addressing crimes against women in India, President Droupadi Murmu expressed deep shock and outrage over the recent rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, as per a report by the Business Today. The President, who felt “dismayed and horrified,” condemned the brutality, noting that this was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of violence against women in the country.
In her three-page statement released on Wednesday, President Murmu highlighted the troubling frequency of such crimes. “What is more depressing is the fact that it was not the only incident of its kind; it is part of a series of crimes against women,” she stated, citing another violent incident in Maharashtra’s Badlapur.
“Even as students, doctors, and citizens were protesting in Kolkata, criminals remained on the prowl elsewhere,” she added, underscoring the pervasive threat faced by women across the nation.
The President’s remarks follow widespread public protests in Kolkata and across India, demanding stronger measures to ensure the safety of women. She pointed out that victims of such crimes range from professionals to even young children, highlighting that “no civilised society can allow daughters and sisters to be subjected to such atrocities.”
Reflecting on past efforts to combat such crimes, President Murmu recalled the Nirbhaya incident of December 2012, a case that drew national and international condemnation.
“After that tragic incident, the country was determined not to let another Nirbhaya meet the same fate,” she said.
“We made plans and devised strategies. These initiatives did make a difference to an extent. Yet, our task remains unfinished as long as any woman feels unsafe in the environment where she lives or works.”
The President expressed concern that many such crimes have not received the attention they deserve, warning of “collective amnesia” regarding these heinous acts.
“Did we learn our lessons? As social protests petered out, these incidents got buried into a deep and inaccessible recess of social memory, to be recalled only when another heinous crime takes place,” she remarked.
President Murmu stressed the need for honest, unbiased introspection by society to address the root causes of violence against women. She also emphasised the importance of remembering victims to prevent future atrocities.
“We should not let amnesia prevail over the memory of such criminality. Let us deal with this perversion in a comprehensive manner so as to curb it right at the beginning,” she stated.
The President concluded by calling for a “social culture of remembering” the victims, not just as a form of tribute but as a necessary step to confront societal failures and enhance vigilance against future crimes.
“Now the time has come not only to face history squarely but also to search within our souls and probe the pathology of crime against women,” she asserted.
