August 9, 2024: Ratna Debnath's world was torn apart after her daughter's body was found in a seminar room at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. 'Abhaya', the 31-year-old junior doctor, was raped and murdered.
May 4, 2026: Ratna Debnath's world has been moved once again, this time by the trust bestowed upon her by the people of Panihati in West Bengal, who chose her as their leader. Debnath, who contested the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections on a BJP ticket, won by a margin of 28,000 votes (28,836) against the Trinamool Congress's Tirthankar Ghosh.
"The women of Bengal have given their answer," Debnath said in an interview with NDTV, crediting her win to them.
Panihati has long been a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress.
"She Left Home Smiling"
Recalling the horrific day that changed her life, Debnath said her daughter had "left home smiling with her tiffin", but what returned home was the news of her death.
"Neither I nor she knew that this was the last time we would talk. My daughter was like a flower. She had the values of Swami Vivekananda. Her life was snatched by the RG Kar administration and the health minister," she alleged.
Debnath said that her daughter's journey was more important that her own.
"She raised her voice against the corruption in her hospital, her fight was tougher," Debnath said.
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Ratna Debnath's Foray Into Politics
Debnath has time and again accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government of failing to save her daughter, 'Abhaya'. She said she decided to contest the elections to continue her fight for justice for her daughter and to free Panihati from the Ghosh family and their curse.
"9 August 2024 changed my life entirely. The health minister (Mamata Banerjee) ruined my life entirely. I'm still protesting, and I've chosen the path of politics to fight for justice for my daughter and for all daughters," said Debnath in an interview with NDTV following her victory.
Debnath claims she hasn't combed her hair since the incident as a form of mourning and protest.
"My main enemy is Mamata Banerjee because she's the health minister, and my daughter worked for the health department. Why didn't Mamata Banerjee save my daughter?" she had said in the past.
Call For Justice
The Lakshmi Bhandar scheme, launched by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in February 2021 to empower women, offers monthly financial assistance to women aged 25-60. Under the scheme, Rs 1,500 is credited to beneficiaries' accounts every month.
Debnath, however, believes that the women of Bengal can no longer be tied to Rs 1,500.
"I am just a protesting mother, and I'll stay the same. The women of Bengal cannot be tied just to Rs 1,500," she said.
On the one hand Debnath credited PM Modi for her victory, and on the other, she refused to take Banerjee's name.
"I don't even want to think about that woman," she said.
In conclusion, Debnath remembered her daughter, who she described as a "God-given diamond."
"It's not my loss; it's society's loss. The society has lost a good doctor. And the people of Bengal have decided to bring back justice," she said.
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