Protesters defy BNSS 163, waterlogged N Kol streets
Times of India | 19 August 2024
12 Kolkata: Braving the rain, hundreds congregated at Shyambazar 5-point crossing defying prohibitory orders on Sunday to reclaim the protest zone. On Saturday the Kolkata Police imposed Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) — earlier Section 144 of CrPC — prohibiting meetings, rallies, unlawful assembly of more than five persons, around the R G Kar Medical College Campus.The orders, effective from Sunday, have been imposed for seven days. A little before 1 pm, it was pouring when a group of junior doctors of R G Kar Medical College left their campus in an open van to start their rally from College Square. “Come rain, come prohibitory orders we will go on with our fight for justice,” said Aniket Mahata, a PGT while heading to the starting point of the rally.
The cease-work agitation by junior doctors across all state medical colleges after the death of their 31-year-old colleague entered the ninth day. Ordered by commissioner of Kolkata Police Vineet Kumar Goyal, the directive is applicable for specifiedareas under Shyampukur, Ultadanga and Tala police stations. These areas include Shyambazar 5-point crossing, Belgachia Road, northern and southern pavement of Belgachia Road from Shyambazar 5-point crossing.
Despite the restrictions, the rally — which had begun from College Square around 2.30 pm and walked through College Street, Bidhan Sarani, Hatibagan — ended at the Shyambazar crossing, where the protesters organized a human chain for a few minutes. The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front had called the protest march. On the same route, another rally by a peoples’ forum was organized. “The protest is to demand safety for all women at their respective workplaces and not for us alone,” said a woman doctor. Another junior doctor from the rally said, “We will continue the protest till proper justice is served on this incident. The prohibitory section is also imposed to stop our voice, which is impossible now.”
Since morning, cops were making public announcements asking people to avoid gathering around the hospital. A large number of policemen were also deployed at the main gate and on the street. The area was heavily barricaded. After a heavy shower , most of the pockets of North Kolkata were waterlogged. However, that couldn’t deter the protesters.