Castration A Bigger Deterrent Than Capital Punishment, Doctors Shouldn't Go On Strike: TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar | EXCLUSIVE

Trinamool Congress (TMC) Barasat MP Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar was one of the members of the Parliament Standing Committee to frame anti-rape laws after the Nirbhaya gangrape case of 2012. Like most other members, she had said that capital punishment was no deterrent, but that may not be the case now.

With her own party’s government passing the Aparajita law in West Bengal, making capital punishment a strong provision, Ghosh, while speaking exclusively to News18, said, “I may have my doubts about capital punishment as a deterrent but seeing the heinous nature of crime in Kolkata and many other states, it’s the best thing to have.”

However, as a doctor, her personal opinion remained that castration was a harsher deterrent. “As a doctor, I think castration is needed as it would be a strong deterrent.”

Interestingly, Ghosh is a former student of RG Kar Medical College, which is now the epicentre of the storm after the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the premises last month. “It’s a reputed institution. All modern equipment and treatment were from here. It’s one of the best places for treatment. I am not aware of what Sandip Ghosh did, but I certainly hope one day, the institute gets its lost glory back,” she said.

Kolkata and the rest of Bengal have seen protests and doctors strikes as well over the rape and murder case. To this, Ghosh, making a controversial statement, said, “In a democracy, strikes are important and they are a right. But we must also understand that it should not inconvenience people. People are unable to go or travel easily. Protestors must understand this too. As for doctors, we should understand that it’s not just for the rich. Even the poor need assistance and doctors’ strike hurts them. Doctors should not go on strikes.”

She refused to accept the BJP criticism that the Aparajita law was damage control. She said that BJP needed to look at what happened in Maharashtra, Unnao and the Bilkis Bano case. “The BJP has not done anything to catch rapists. They are garlanded. They should support Aparajita law. The Bharat Nyay Sanhita is not tough. It doesn’t give any justice to older women,” she said.