YPJ lends support to Kolkata’s Anti-Rape Protests

“Rapists have to be brought to justice, but how can we do this when the rapists are those in power?” asks Mildred Mapingure , a Zimbabwean and member of Global network of Victims and survivors to end wartime rape, known as Sema, She was gang-raped by robbers at her home following the bloody events surrounding Zimbabwe election of 2005 and successfully sued the government for failing to termninate the pregnancy(published by Kate Hodal in The Guardian titled “Impunity reigns : six survivors of sexual violence speak out”).

The following statement holds true for my country, India which is going through a rape endemic and those who are in power or with political clout are suffering with sick mentality , which has gone unchanged and unchecked for decades and the recent case of ‘Moumita Debnath‘, a trainee doctor at RG Kar medical College and hospital ,Who was raped and murdered on 9 August with reports stating that she was bleeding from her eyes , mouth and genitals and was subjected to “genital torture”.This henious and barbaric crime exposes the fractures in our system which has grown wider and wider with time, The unprecedented power abuse, Red tapeism , Moral Corruption ,political clout and unwillingness have remained the major factors for unchecked rape and violence across the nation and eventually failing to hold perpetrators guilty for their crimes ,especially those in power or with political influence. it’s heart wrenching and concerning to see a state run by a woman chief minister , Mamta Banerjee who instead of joining protests by Kolkata doctor, ordered Kolkata police to block all the roads leading to Nabanna (chief ministers office – government of West Bengal) with barricades and the recent revelation that Sandeep Ghosh , principal at RG Kar hospital was removed from his chair after the crime came to light and reinstated in the same position at the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital within hours by the Mamata Banerjee government. Whom itself was accused by Akhtar Ali , deputy superintendent at the hospital for Organ and biomedical waste trafficking highlights the seriousness of the case.

The Mamata Banerjee led WB government at many instances was accused of defending perpetrators affiliated to her party TMC (Trinamool Congress) , previously in January she was defending Shahjahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali land grab and sexual assault case and Sohail Gayali , son of TMC leader Samarendra Gayali in 2022 Hanskhali rape case.

Sanjay Roy, a prime suspect in this henious crime was arrested following the investigation it was later revealed that he is a porn addict, womanizer and domestic abuser, But what raises concern is how a person without background check or profiling was working with Kolkata police and if it was done why he was even working for a state police ?

A tweet over Kolkata Anti-rape Protests by MedyaNews Twitter handle | Image Credit: MedyaNews |

Like this there are many cases of rape and gender based violence which went unreported in India but this recent case of Kolkata trainee doctor is being widely covered by global media houses, highlighting the barbarism and brutality surrounding the case. The support from Yazidi and Kurdish women is particularly significant because they have long faced their own struggles against violence and oppression. Their solidarity with the anti-rape protests in Kolkata, where slogans like “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” (Women, Life, Freedom) were chanted, underscores a shared struggle for women’s rights and justice across borders. This cross-cultural alliance amplifies the call for systemic change and a unified stand against gender-based violence.

YPJ fighters stand in formation |Author : Kurdishstruggle |Wikimedia Commons

The philosophy and history of the slogan “Jin Jiyan azadi / Women , life , freedom/ Zan , Zendegi, Azadi can be traced back to 1980s Kurdish Resistance Movement against Turkish government who referred them as “Mountain Turks”. The armed struggle against the Turkish government led by Abdullah Oclan, founder of Kurdish Workers’ Party(PKK) , who theorized the concept of ‘Democratic Confederalism‘ i.e A system of democratic Self-Organization with the features of confederation based on the principles of autonomy, direct democracy , feminism, multiculturalism, Self governance , Self defense, Cooperative economy. Oclan has often states that – ” A country can’t be free unless the women are free “. The Kurdish leader has emphasized that the level of woman’s freedom determines the level of freedom in society at large. But it was not until Seize of Kobani in 2015 and Battle of Raqqa in 2017 When Kurdish women under the banner of YPJ( Women’s Protection Units) and Yazidi Woman under YBS (Sinjar Resistance Units) successfully repcaptured territories from Daesh. According to NGO , ‘We are not Weapons of War’ , 7,000 Yazidi Woman are believed to have been taken hostage as sex slaves by ISIS.

Sources:-

1) Impunity reigns : Six survivors of sexual violence speak out – The Guardian, 24 June 2019

2) Protests continue to rahe in Bengal in RG Khar case – TheSundayGuardian, 1 September 2024

3) Kolkata doctor’s autopsy reveals she was throttled to death, genital torture – IndiaToday, 13 August 2024

4) IMA cracks down on ex-RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh, suspends his membership – BusinessToday, 28 August 2024

5) Kolkata doctor’s rape-murder: Accused’s wife complained of assault twice, police took no action – The Indian express, 16 August 2024

6) With the philosophy of the free life of women, we will develop the self-protection of all women to the flags of my world – General Command of the Woman’s protection Units,YPJ Rojava , 20 August 2024

7)Kurdish, Yazidi women express solidarity with Indian women protesting against sexual violence – MedyaNews, 19 August 2024