Junior docs march for justice but bandh keeps rally footfall low
Times of India | 30 August 2024
Kolkata: Junior doctors of Bengal marched in the city centre reiterating their demand for justice for their colleague who was raped and murdered in RG Kar Medical College. The cease work by the junior doctors has continued for almost three weeks but there is no indication of a retreat. They said they will continue their agitation till they see some hope for justice.
“We will not call off our agitation till we find justice for our colleague,” said Aniket Mahata, a PGT at RG Kar Medical College.
On Wednesday, the junior doctors assembled at Shyambazar and started marching to Esplanade. Though there was some trouble between cops and BJP workers on the rally route on Central Avenue, cops secured safe passage for the doctors. On the way, they put up skits on their fear and problems. The mass rally called by the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, however, clocked a low footfall compared to the response during previous mass gatherings. They cited the bandh called by BJP for the low turnout.
“Our colleagues from the district medical colleges could not make it to the rally due to the bandh. Due to fear of the bandh, the public at large also did not come out. But it is Ok. We wanted to reiterate our demand for justice and we did that,” said another PGT from NRS Medical College.
“We also want to go back to work but not before we see some hope for justice,” said Hassan Mushtaq, a PGT at RG Kar.
The govt medical colleges in Bengal are currently working without a section of close to 6,000 junior doctors. “We stick to our demand for arrest of all involved in the heinous crime, suspension of Sandip Ghosh and the Kolkata Police commissioner’s resignation, and snapping of the health syndicate,” said Aniket Kar, a junior doctor at Medical College and Hospital.
Though there was talk am-ong them on if they could resume emergency duty, the majority was against it. “We fear once we withdraw our agitation, whatever movement we are seeing in the investigation will stop,” said a junior doctor.