The rape incident in Kolkata's law college is a dark moment — it should also be a turning point

Indian Express

6 hours ago

The alleged gang rape of a 24-year-old law student inside a Kolkata college campus is not merely a tragic anomaly — it is a grim indictment of a state system that increasingly fails to protect the vulnerable, especially women. Allegedly involving a former Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) leader and taking place in the guardroom near the student union office, this act of brutality unfolded in what should have been a space of safety and community.
Only months earlier, a postgraduate trainee at R G Kar Medical College was raped and murdered. While the CBI eventually concluded that it was the act of a lone individual, public outrage and the victim's father's remarks revealed a deeper fear: That institutional spaces in West Bengal are becoming dangerously unsafe, and that politics often shields the guilty.
One of the most alarming aspects of the law college incident is the alleged involvement of an ex-TMCP leader — a reminder of how political affiliations can enable a sense of impunity. Even as the ruling party publicly condemned the act and sought distance, its silence on the broader issue of student safety and political interference speaks volumes.
West Bengal's crime rate against women in 2022 stood at 71.8 per lakh population, significantly higher than the national average of 66.4. Conviction rates remain worryingly low. While Kolkata has been ranked the 'safest city' statistically, Rekha Sharma, then chairperson of the National Commission for Women, rightly pointed out that underreporting and police inaction — due to political pressure — distort the picture.
Student union elections — which once served as a training ground for democratic values — have been suspended in most colleges across the state for over a decade. In their absence, political proxies often fill the vacuum. These unelected groups, backed by ruling-party networks, consolidate informal authority without accountability. This dynamic is especially dangerous in institutions of higher learning, where dissent, student safety, and democratic governance are critical.
The Calcutta High Court recently directed the state's higher education department to draw up a roadmap for holding these elections, calling out the long-standing statutory failure. Yet without active political will and monitoring, any such roadmap risks remaining on paper.
To understand this ecosystem, political theorist Dwaipayan Bhattacharyya's concept of 'franchisee politics' is instructive. According to him, West Bengal's ruling party sustains itself not only through electoral victories but through territorial micro-control by local power brokers. These 'franchisees' operate under the umbrella of 'Brand Mamata,' delivering services, extracting rents, and managing dissent at the grassroots level.
Such franchisees often act outside legal frameworks. In many cases, their power depends not just on their proximity to the party, but on their ability to intimidate, suppress opposition, and monopolise resources. Educational institutions, particularly those lacking independent oversight, become easy targets.
In recent years, reports have detailed how TMC leaders or affiliates have issued threats, made misogynistic remarks, or enabled intimidation to silence dissent or critics. This culture, especially when allowed to fester in youth politics, sends a clear message: Loyalty is rewarded, while wrongdoing is rarely punished.
While much attention is rightly placed on political complicity, it's vital to also view these incidents through a gendered lens. Sexual violence is not only a political failure but a structural outcome of entrenched patriarchy. When male-dominated institutions — whether political, educational, or legal — treat women's bodies as collateral damage in power struggles, violence becomes normalised.
Rape is not just an act of lust or anger; it is often an assertion of dominance, enabled by systemic failures and cultural silence. Unless both patriarchy and political capture are addressed together, safety reforms will remain cosmetic.
The safety of students — and of women in general — cannot be restored without urgent and tangible reforms. For one, regular student union elections ought to be reinstated across the state and they should be monitored by independent bodies to ensure legitimacy and transparency. Second, the police must be guaranteed autonomy to investigate cases without political interference. There need to be empowered internal complaints committees and crisis cells in all higher educational institutions, staffed by gender-sensitised professionals.
There must also be a public commitment to zero tolerance for politically affiliated violence, with action against those who use party connections to intimidate or coerce. Survivors must also be empowered by improving access to legal aid, mental health support, and fast-track courts.
The alleged gang rape in Kolkata's law college is a dark moment — but it should also be a turning point. If West Bengal wishes to remain a state that values education, equity, and justice, it must break the grip of informal power networks and reestablish the rule of law within its institutions. Anything less would betray not just the victims, but the future of its youth.
The writer is a political anthropologist and teaches at Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Government College, Kolkata.