Shabana Azmi on Kolkata Doctor case : 'We need to dismantle patriarchy, which is deeply embedded in our society'

Actor Shabana Azmi has voiced her strong condemnation of the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata earlier this month. Speaking to the media after an event in Pune, Shabana emphasized the urgent need to stop treating women as commodities and dismantle deep-rooted patriarchy.

"Such incidents are extremely dangerous. It's embarrassing to see that these kinds of heinous acts have not reduced, even after the formation of the Justice Verma Committee back in 2012 during the Nirbhaya case," Shabana said, as quoted by news agency ANI. "We should not treat women as commodities. We need to dismantle patriarchy, which is deeply embedded in our society."

Earlier on Wednesday, President Droupadi Murmu expressed her deep anguish over the rising crimes against women, particularly in light of the horrific rape and murder of the young doctor in Kolkata. In her open letter titled "Women's Safety: Enough is Enough," she called for collective self-introspection to address the root causes of such violence.

The President stressed the importance of confronting the recurring patterns of criminality against women and urged society to look within and address the underlying issues. The incident on August 9, where a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, has sparked widespread protests. People across the country are demanding severe punishment for the accused and increased safety measures for women.