Several celebrities, including comedian Munawar Faruqui have expressed their outrage following the horrific rape and murder of a medical trainee in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital that has shaken the nation.

Speaking to us, Faruqui says, “A hospital is a place where lives are saved. We consider it the safest place, but if a doctor can go through something like that [in a hospital], it sets an example ki aurat kahin bhi safe nahi hai.”

He continues, “Being a man, I feel very ashamed. We’ve been hearing how such incidents have been happening with baby girls and mujhe bolne mein bhi sharam aa rahi hai ki kayi log toh animals ko bhi nahi chhod rahe hain.”

The 32-year-old, who penned a poem titled Mubarak Ho Beti Hui Hai on his Instagram, shares, “The poem was not just about the Kolkata case, but what women go through all their life. The line, ‘Bachti aayi hai gande mehmaanon ki nazron se bhi’ is about how some children are molested even at home. Women are subjected to so much, be it at home or in public.”

Amid the uproar, some debates on social media have turned the incident into a man vs woman issue. Faruqui goes on to request men to not lose sight of what really matters: “Main bas ek hi baat bolna chahunga sab mardon ko, ki kuch mat bolo. Auratein jo bhi bol rahi hain, usko nazar jhuka kar sunn lo. Iss samay agar woh gusse aur frustration mein yeh bhi keh rahi hain ki sabhi mard aise hain, toh chup chap sunn lo, because right now, they are going through a lot.”

Asserting that stricter safety measures need to be implemented, he adds, “There is a lot [to be done] in terms of women’s safety. Police presence has become a necessity in a lot of places, such as late night public transportation. So, patrolling should increase and there should be working CCTV cameras everywhere.”

The father of two also says he wants to teach his kids to respect others, irrespective of gender. “It pains me to even think about what a father or brother goes through when their daughters or sisters go through something like this. Since I have a son and a daughter, I want them to understand how to respect the other gender,” he ends.