Intellectuals urge Bengal CM to acknowledge just demands of junior doctors, initiate talks

Bengal BJP extends support to junior doctors’ agitation

KOLKATA — Several eminent personalities on Sunday urged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to take every possible step to acknowledge the demands of junior doctors with due importance to end the impasse.

The fasting junior doctors were also requested by eminent personalities to have faith in the initiative of civil society and withdraw their fast-unto-death.

Thirty eminent personalities including film-maker Aparna Sen, actor Riddhi Sen, theatre personality-actor Kaushik Sen, film-maker Srijit Mukherjee, Kamaleswar Mukherjee, social activist Bolan Gangopadhyay and others in an open letter to the CM also urged the junior doctors to withdraw their fast-unto-death.

“Despite acknowledging most of the genuine demands by junior doctors, the uncertainty over the effective implementation of their demands forced them to go for the hunger strike and deteriorated their health conditions,” the signatories said.

“In the prevailing situation, we promise to be more vigilant to facilitate a situation where your concerns will be addressed and call upon the state government to acknowledge their concern and urge the agitating medics to have faith in civil society initiative to address the situation,” the letter said.

Complimenting junior doctors for “charting a new historic path in democratic protests”, the letter asked both sides to suggest if a bridge can be built between both sides by civil society.

The junior doctors have been demanding justice for the RG Kar victim, immediate removal of state Health Secretary N S Nigam, workplace security and other measures.

VIDEO | "The decision of hunger strike is unfortunate and it is provoked by Left parties. The RG Kar case is the worst that can happen but Kolkata Police arrested the main accused within 24 hours, now the case is with CBI and judiciary. So, where is the space for hunger strike?… pic.twitter.com/QXmEZ5lfVc

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 13, 2024

Their other demands include establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.

The ‘fast-unto-death’ from October 5 followed nearly 50 days of ‘cease work’ in two phases. Their agitation began after an on-duty postgraduate trainee was allegedly raped and murdered inside state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. While one person was arrested by the Kolkata Police the next day, the CBI is now investigating the case following a Calcutta High Court order.

Bengal BJP extends support to junior doctors’ agitation

The West Bengal unit of the BJP on Sunday issued a statement extending support to the ongoing agitation of the junior doctors of the state following the RG Kar rape-murder incident and urged party workers to join the stir in large numbers.

Three junior doctors staging ‘fast-unto-death’ in Kolkata and Siliguri have been hospitalised after the deterioration of their health condition.

Pledging full support to the agitating medics, whose ‘fast-unto-death’ entered the ninth day on Sunday, BJP state president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar alleged that the West Bengal government has rescinded on the promise made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her meeting with junior doctors on September 16 on the issue of security at medical establishments.

“The West Bengal BJP extends its full support to the junior doctors’ front in their agitation against the Mamata Banerjee government. The demands by protesting doctors in the aftermath of the gruesome rape and murder of a woman doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital are legitimate and must be fulfilled,” Majumdar said in the statement.

Alleging that the state has “rescinded” on its promise to meet the demands of doctors, he said all BJP workers are being encouraged to join the doctors’ protest in large numbers and urged people of state to be part of the movement.

“We have to protect our doctors and save West Bengal from the dark forces which are helming the affairs of the state at the moment,” the Union minister said.

Several BJP leaders, including Majumdar and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, had on earlier occasions expressed support to the agitation of the junior doctors but did not directly participate in it as the doctors and other protesting members of civil society had repeatedly called for making their movement apolitical.

The junior doctors have been demanding justice for the RG Kar victim, immediate removal of Health Secretary N S Nigam, workplace security and other measures.

Their other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.

The ‘fast-unto-death’ from October 5 followed nearly 50 days of ‘cease work’ in two phases. Their agitation began after an on-duty postgraduate trainee was allegedly raped and murdered inside state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

While one person was arrested by the Kolkata Police the next day, the CBI is now investigating the case following a Calcutta High Court order.