West Bengal, a state once celebrated for its progressive ethos, finds itself sinking deeper into a crisis of conscience. The recent gang rape of a law college student in Kolkata on June 25, 2025, is not an isolated incident—it is another damning entry in a long list of horrors that women in the state have had to endure. What makes this tragedy even more grievous is the sheer brazenness with which it occurred, reportedly within the premises of South Calcutta Law College—a place that should symbolize justice and safety. But instead, it has become yet another crime scene in Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal, where women's security has become a casualty of political impunity.
The protests that erupted on June 29, outside the college and Kasba Police Station, reflected the pent-up anger and helplessness of the people. Students, activists, and ordinary citizens came out in solidarity with the survivor, demanding accountability and swift justice. But these cries are unlikely to move a state administration that has, time and again, chosen silence, suppression, or spin over truth. The tragedy is compounded by the bitter irony that West Bengal is led by a woman Chief Minister, who came to power in 2011 on the promise of ‘Ma, Mati, Manush’—a slogan that now rings hollow in the face of escalating atrocities against women.
The complicity of ruling party members in such crimes has emerged as a distressingly common theme. Time after time, those aligned with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) have been accused of sexual violence, harassment, and intimidation of women—and often, the system has shielded them. In some cases, FIRs are diluted, police inaction is deliberate, and survivors face character assassination or threats. The ruling establishment seems more invested in protecting its own than ensuring justice for victims. This culture of impunity is not just shameful—it is dangerous.
Consider the chilling patterns: the Hanskhali rape case in 2022, where the victim died under suspicious circumstances and the accused had direct political connections; the Sandeshkhali outrage, where multiple women alleged systematic sexual abuse at the hands of TMC-linked strongmen; and now, a law student assaulted within a college, reportedly by individuals close to political circles. In all these cases, the state machinery dragged its feet until public pressure became unbearable. When a government fails to act unless forced to, it fails by design.
The ruling party, instead of introspecting or purging its ranks, often falls back on deflection—blaming opposition conspiracies or communal agendas. This refusal to take ownership of systemic failure is part of the problem. In fact, it fosters a climate where criminals with political patronage feel emboldened. Women are not just unsafe in public spaces or educational institutions—they are unsafe under a regime that prioritizes political optics over personal safety.
Moreover, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s personal silence on many of these cases is deafening. As a woman leader, one expects empathy, urgency, and action. Instead, what Bengal gets is an administration obsessed with controlling narratives and crushing dissent, rather than safeguarding citizens. When those in power turn a blind eye to gender-based violence, they not only abandon their duty but also send a chilling message: that the bodies and lives of women are expendable in the pursuit of power.
The people of West Bengal deserve better. Women deserve to walk free without fear, to study without threat, to live without constantly looking over their shoulders. What is unfolding in Bengal today is not just a breakdown of law and order—it is a moral failure of leadership. The cries of the law student assaulted in Kolkata are not hers alone; they echo the voices of countless women who have suffered in silence, betrayed by a state that was meant to protect them.
It is time to call this what it is: a state-sanctioned betrayal of Bengal’s daughters. And the people will not forget.
Uday India Bureau
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