Subhasish: Did not join protest as Mohun Bagan captain but as citizen of India

Subhasish Bose, the Mohun Bagan Super Giant captain, explains why he joined hands to protest against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant captain Subhasish Bose during the ISL last year. Abhijit Addya/Focus Sports/ISL | Photo Credit: Pal Pillai

The evening of August 17 served as a precursor to an upheaval that would grip the city’s sporting scene in an unexpected way.

It was the day when the organisers of the 133rd edition of the Durand Cup decided to abandon the showpiece event of Indian football — the Kolkata football derby — which was scheduled to take place the following day.

The decision was prompted by the denial of necessary clearance by the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, which is responsible for providing security during matches at the Salt Lake Stadium.

The rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in the city had sparked an unprecedented wave of protests by citizens across Kolkata and its adjoining districts.

The police, struggling to contain the widespread protests, feared that the ‘derby’ match day, which generally sees an attendance of over 60,000, would turn the stadium into a major venue for demonstrations.

The cancellation of the season’s first major football derby between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Emami East Bengal enraged fans. Both sets of supporters had planned to display large tifos and banners demanding justice for a crime that had deeply shocked the city.

READ | Bangal Ghotir ektai shawr, justice for RG Kar: Rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan unite for justice in RG Kar case

The protest calls quickly spread across social media, drawing thousands of fans to gather at the main entrance of Salt Lake Stadium. Fans of Mohammedan Sporting Club, the third major team in the city’s football scene, also joined the protest, creating a rare and powerful alliance among supporters of all three rival clubs for a shared cause.

Kolkata: Supporters of football clubs East Bengal and Mohun Bagan take part in a protest march against the alleged sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor, near Salt Lake stadium, in Kolkata, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)(PTI08_18_2024_000166A) | Photo Credit: -

Subhasish Bose, the Mohun Bagan SG captain, turned up with his wife, Kasturi Chhetri, to lend their voices to the call for justice. While active sportspeople in India generally distance themselves from such events, Subhasish was a glaring exception.

“I did not go there as the captain of Mohun Bagan but as a citizen of this country and joined my fellow countrymen to demand justice for the victim of that brutality,” Subhasish told  Sportstar.

It was the very day that the renowned defender turned 29, but he chose not to celebrate his birthday and spent the evening with the fans.

“The R.G. Kar incident was absolutely horrific and mind-numbing, but the details coming out along with the authorities’ attempts to hide the truth and silence the people are beyond shocking.

“As a society, we’ve failed our women again and again. But now, let’s do what we can to make our voices heard. They can cancel events, prevent gatherings, and shut down protests, but we must continue our demand for justice for our women.

“This is not just a fight for women, but for every father, brother, husband, and friend. It’s on every one of us to fight back and help build a safer country for the ones we love,” Subhasish laid bare his anguish as a concerned citizen on his Instagram account.

“I want to see the perpetrators of such a dastardly act punished, and I felt that I should join the voices protesting to stir the authorities into action. A family had lost their daughter, and I felt it was my duty to be on their side along with thousands of others who felt the same way as I did,” Subhasish said.

“I want the state and the country to be safe places for women. There are many incidents of rape happening in the country almost daily, and I want the government to take strict action against the perpetrators with stricter implementation of the laws so that it deters anyone from harbouring any such thoughts in the future,” he added.

Subhasish said that everyone in the state is gripped with a sense of apprehension about the safety of their female family members after the incident.

“The situation in Kolkata is so bad now that even my wife is afraid of going out alone. I feel this kind of fear is gripping every woman in every family in this state, and so it is of paramount importance that adequate steps be taken to create a safe environment for women here,” he said, while adding that he is willing to join the protests again against any wrongdoing in the future.