Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri spoke about the current crisis surrounding the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Agnihotri, who has been vocal about the incident and its wider implications, arrived in West Bengal to join the protests, share his views on the situation, and call for substantial reforms.
Agnihotri, known for his critical stance on various social and political issues, expressed his deep feelings about the matter during a press conference. Agnihotri said, “I was here yesterday and suddenly, when I saw the Supreme Court order for Tuesday, many students were saying that when the Nirbhaya incident happened in Delhi, people from all over the country went there. But why is it in Kolkata that no one is coming here? I felt very strongly that I should come. Yesterday, we marched and protested for emotional reasons.”
The filmmaker, who is currently researching Bengal for his upcoming project ‘Delhi Files’, drew a poignant connection between the region’s historical significance and its current state.
He said, “There is a background to my association with this. I have been researching Bengal for the last 4-5 years for my upcoming film ‘Delhi Files’. I have seen that women’s freedom and independence is written in the land of Bengal.”
Agnihotri highlighted Bengal’s historical role as a centre of revolutionary ideas and social progress and cited the region’s contribution to spirituality, journalism and women’s empowerment.
He said, “This is the land where Tagore wrote, ‘where the head is held high and the mind is free.’ This is the land where Sarath Babu wrote about women’s freedom in literature. This is the land where Bina Das opened fire on the governor in a university during the British rule.”
Despite this illustrious history, Agnihotri expressed disappointment at the current situation and criticised West Bengal’s political and law enforcement systems.
He said, “We are all sitting in Kolkata, but I have travelled a lot. From my experience, I can say without any shame or fear that all criminal activities, including sexual exploitation and violence against women, are operated from the offices of these political parties in the districts and villages. Sexual violence demoralizes society and families, and it is considered the easiest and safest way to consolidate the vote bank here.”
Agnihotri said, “Election violence and sexual violence due to political reasons have stopped in other states, but it is still going on in Bengal. I think now the time has come for change. My only demand is that the entire system of politics in Bengal should change and a socio-political and women empowerment revolution should start from here.”
The filmmaker highlighted that the youth of Bengal need to wake up and change the current scenario.
Agnihotri said, “Youth should sow thousands and millions of new seeds on this barren land, which will promote new thinking and new politics. The old communist and current politics should end here. The industrialists, artists and people who left Bengal should return. We should come here and make films.”
Speaking to ANI, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri said, “The law and order situation was already bad and now I think it has completely collapsed. Otherwise, why would the Chief Minister protest against herself? Some people say she was protesting against the CBI. But under whom does the CBI come? Is it not a part of this country? Do we need a separate passport for Bengal?”
“Yesterday they did not even allow us to protest. I had to seek permission from the High Court to hold the protest,” he told ANI.
The filmmaker also drew parallels between the political climate of Bengal and other regions of India, and suggested that the state’s unique issues are deeply intertwined with its political landscape.
Agnihotri also stressed his concerns about the wider implications of the situation, saying, “I cannot shoot in Kashmir or Bengal; I don’t feel safe here. I don’t want to go into detail, but I sent a legal notice last year. When the CM called my film a lie and propaganda and banned it, I sent him a legal notice.”
He said, “But ask anyone, they will say they do not feel safe in India. If they felt safe, they would invest here, buy houses and industrialists would come here. But people do not have the right to live here; they do not feel safe because the underworld controls politics here.”
Vivek Agnihotri said during the interview, “My only message to everyone is that it is time to make Bengal great again.”
Earlier on August 21, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri joined the protest rally and expressed his anger against the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Speaking to ANI, Vivek Agnihotri shared his feelings on the incident.
He said, “My demand is simply that rape has been used as a political weapon since the time of Direct Action Day. Communal, political and electoral violence in Bengal must end. And we have to make Bengal great again. And this is only possible when the current political system changes completely. This government has completely failed. I have come here because many youths are asking me. I want them to get inspired that yes, if I can stand here and protest, they can too. If we want India to succeed, we have to make Bengal great again.”
On 9 August, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, leading to a nationwide strike and protests by civil society and doctors in all states against the incident and demanding strict punishment for the accused and security for themselves.
