Kolkata rape-murder victim’s sculpture at RG Kar receives backlash: ‘Tone-deaf’

Junior doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital have unveiled a statue paying tribute to the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor who was brutally raped and murdered at the hospital on August 9.
Created by renowned artist Asit Sain, the sculpture – called ‘Cry of the Hour’ – is meant to depict the pain and trauma experienced by the victim. According to the Indian Express, it has been placed on a pedestal in front of the PGB Gardens near the building that houses the principal’s office.

Crafted in fibreglass, the sculpture depicts the bust of a woman screaming. The inscription at the pedestal explains that the statue is meant to show ‘Abhaya’, who suffered “hellish brutality” at RG Kar on August 9.
“It is an emotional moment for us,” a junior doctor was quoted as saying by the Indian Express. “She was our colleague. We have been fighting for her. She is in our heart, but this installation will ensure no one ever forgets her.”
“This statue is not of the victim, but a symbol of pain, torture she went through and the ongoing protests,” another junior doctor of the hospital told PTI.
While the sculpture may have been well-intentioned, it received backlash on social media for being disrespectful and tone-deaf.
“The doctors of this country are so tone deaf. Why would you ever create a statue like this based on a rape victim,” asked one X user.
“Who thought this was a good idea? Who approved this?” others asked.
One X user called it “so weird and disrespectful,” while another wrote: “Indian women can’t even be remembered with pride. It’s either perpetually be in pain or be forgotten.”
Thousands of junior doctors took out a protest march in Kolkata on Wednesday demanding justice for the medic who was raped and murdered at state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August, vowing to continue their protest till the government acted decisively.
The protest march, organised by the Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, began at College Street and ended in Esplanade area, marking a fresh escalation of the doctors’ ongoing agitation for improved safety measures for healthcare workers.
(With inputs from PTI)