‘Let all souls walk unshaken’

A global symposium in memory of ‘Dr Abhaya and all women and girls whose voices demand justice’, jointly organized by Global Solidarity Community and Abhaya Mancha was held in hybrid mode on 7 December 2025 at Press Club, Kolkata. It started at 9 30 am and continued uninterrupted for four hours.

Global Solidarity Community is an intercontinental Facebook and WhatsApp group, formed after Abhaya’s brutal murder, which triggered a storm all over the world. At the very outset, the spokesperson Parmita Roy inaugurated the programme giving the call to break the system which shields the powerful, who perpetrate the violence. The movement for justice against gender-based violence may seem futile and frustrating like Sisyphus’s eternal task to roll a boulder uphill only to watch it roll back down, but there is no alternative of a long sustained struggle to reach our goal. She identified persistence as a form of resistance.

The hybrid symposium was moderated by Dr Madhumita Iyengar and Rajasree Imandi on online platform and Dr Indudeepa Sinha at Press Club, Kolkata. Shibani Sinha, an academician and activist from Australia sponsored the whole event. Madhumita Iyenger affirmed that grief, outrage and determination united the global community. Rajashree Imandi said in a patriarchal society, technological progress often increases violence against women.

Let this symposium be a starting point for collective action. Dr Indudeepa Sinha started with Maya Angelou, the black American poet –“You may shoot me with your words/You may cut me with your eyes/You may kill me with your hatefulness/But still, like air, I’ll rise”.

Narrating how Abhaya’s dream of serving the society since her childhood was shattered, her parents- Ratna and Sekhar Debnath raised their voice against discrimination of women in society and gender based violence.

Shanta Dutta Dey, the former Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University, insisted that she would speak only in her mother tongue,which can easily be translated using modern technology for the global community. Her extraordinary speech began with Julius Fuchik, a Czech communist and leading figure in the anti-Nazi resistance, who wrote in his ‘Notes from the Gallows’ -“I loved life, and for the sake of its beauty I went to war…Let sadness never be linked with my name. That is my testament to you”. She said that corruption, nepotism and nauseating sycophancy were looming large in the field of health and education. She was removed from the chair of vice-chancellor because of her defiance and Abhaya sacrificed her life to protect the health system. Following Mao Tse Tung, the great revolutionary, she said Abhaya’s death is not light as feather but heavier than the mountains. She said that Abhaya is primarily a victim of corruption in the hospitals. In a patriarchal society, she also became a victim of gender-based violence. A man bears three wounds inflicted by feudalism, capitalism and imperialism but a woman has to bear an extra wound caused by patriarchy. She emphasised the necessity to change the social structure. No campaign, no movement will succeed without changing the basic social order. For this qualitative change in society, “Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend” (Mao Tse Tung’s slogan for the Hundred Flowers Campaign 1956-1957). She expressed her dream of a society where women would ‘hold up half the sky’.

Miranda Zvidza, an African social activist and advocate from Australia asserted that we would speak Abhaya’s name not in grief but in defiance. In the midst of injustice, silence is a form of violence. She resonated the idea of global solidarity against injustice through jingling of her bangles. One bangle cannot make its presence felt but many bangles together can make soundwaves.

Maimonaa Mollah from All India Democratic Women’s Association swore that Abhaya’s murder cannot be forgiven, cannot be forgotten. He referred to Sadat Hossain Manto, who talked extensively in his drama about the objectification of women. She raised her voice against al forms of injustice and oppression- the imperial genocide in Palestine and at the same time the institutional connivance with Manusmriti, which perpetrates violence against women in India. She said that the futile slogans of beti bachao beti parao obscures the struggle of Muslim women for equality.

Manisha Adak, one of the convenors of Abhaya Mancha the sacrifice of martyr Abhaya will not go in vain. She sang some lines from the Bengali play Jochhna Kumari to express the unfathomable loss of human wealth through women trafficking in India. 13 lakhs women disappeared in the last few years. She affirmed that we are fighting for no one but ourselves. We are fighting for humanity. She concluded her speech by the famous song written by the renowned Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz – “Hum dekhenge /lazim hai ke hum bhi dekhenge/ Wo din ke jis ka waada hai/Jo loh-e-azl mein likha hai/hum dekhenge”.

Indudeepa Sinha, the moderator at the Press Club, acclaimed that Manishadi’s speech is not a collection of words but a war-cry.

Urba Chowdhury, a researcher and activist, presented the statistics of global gender gap index of 2025 where India’s world rank is miserably low. In one year, 82000 girls went missing. To put an end to the gender based violence, we have to work 365 days in a year in cities, slums, villages and everywhere. We have to identify the perpetrators of gender-based violence in our own circles.

Shamita Das Dasgupta, an academician and activist, pointed out that not just men but a whole system collectively perpetrates gender-based violence. To repair the damage, heal the wound and change the condition which gives rise to gender-based violence, gender-based curricula should be incorporated in school education right from the beginning. It is necessary to change the norms of masculinity and move towards egalitarian relationship.

Raffy Sgroi, an activist, mentioned the psychological manipulation to make women unheard and unseen in history and public life. Violence against Women is not only a women’s issue but it reflects an economic, cultural and leadership crisis. She said that we all should strive for an inclusive and respectful culture. Education and economic independence of women are necessary to eradicate gender-based violence. She spoke for Abhaya- “Let’s scream for the justice of Dr Abhaya”

Paula Leanne Mcgrady, an Australian aboriginal leader from Canberra talked about the violence against aboriginal Australian women and children and expressed her solidarity with the violated women of all communities. Her speech was about the cultural resilience carried through generations.

Mita Hansa, an activist, mentioned resilience and emotional courage as strength of women.

Dipsita Dhar, a researcher and political activist, asserted that Abhaya is a symbol of resistance. One should remember her not in terms of grief but inspiration.Women’s issues are connected to Abhaya’s case in various ways. Acts and words of the Chief Minister of West Bengal reinforced the legacy of patriarchy. Dipsita pointed out that the numerous unnamed people are carrying forward the protest movement for justice.

Banya Tudu, a peasant and political activist, raised her voice violence against women in Kolkata, Rampurhat, Nadia and everywhere. She mentioned the state aggression in Deucha Pachami. She said that candle marches won’t do anything. No one will give justice unless we fight for it. We should struggle for education, health and a healthy living.

Prof Partha Majumder, a renowned scientist, expressed his deep concern for the present state of society. He strongly believed that a solidarity across class, gender and different regions of the world only can bring about some positive changes.

Nancy Ndeke, a Nairobian poet living in Australia and George Colburn, an American poet, who wrote the lyrics of Abhaya global theme song, read out their poems. Every line of their poems resonates with truth.

In the end, 28 digital posters by Afghanistan women, students of an online school of Australia, run by Paramita Roy, were displayed. Out of 28 digital paintings, the posters by Rana Sadat, Fahima Ahmadi, Bibi Maryan Shadab and Ilaha were awarded with canva subscription.

Indroneel, Co-Founder of Global Solidarity Committee, a USA based international committee fighting for the justice of the victims of state sponsored atrocities and translator of the Abhaya Global Theme Song, gave the vote of thanks.