Netas’ debut in ‘apolitical’ protest rally causes unease among doctors in city
Times of India | 3 October 2024
Kolkata: The presence of some political leaders in Tuesday's rally called by the Joint Platform of Doctors have caused unease in the medical fraternity. Even as political parties have been holding their own respective protests in the wake of the RG Kar incident, for the first time some politicians made their appearance in a rally called by the Joint Platform of Doctors — a conglomeration of few doctors’ organizations.
While doctors, especially the junior doctors, have kept politicians away from their rallies and other forms of protest, some prominent politicians, including CPM state secretary Md Salim, state Congress president Subhankar Sarkar and ISF MLA Nawsad Siddique took part in the rally from College Square to Academy of Fine Arts.
“We support the junior doctors’ decision of keeping politicians away from the agitation. Since it is their movement, we all should follow their path, respecting their sentiment,” said head and neck oncosurgeon Sourav Datta, chairman of IMA Bengal’s action committee on RG Kar.
In fact, IMA Bengal had earlier decided to keep the body’s board free of politicians, leading to which Santanu Sen decided not to the contest the IMA election this year.
“Political leaders coming into the mass movement might not be viewed well by the public. We should ensure that this movement remains a democratic one,” said Swapan Biswas, secretary of Service Doctors’ Forum.
Senior doctors said there already is a murmur about the presence of the prominent political figures in Tuesday rally. While most of them have their own political orientation and individuals affiliated with different political parties have participated in the movement, none of those are prominent political leaders and hence it did not draw such attention.
“The junior doctors have done the right thing by not allowing any political leader to be part of their movement. We should not allow any political intervention in this movement,” said Apollo ENT surgeon Abhik Ghosh, secretary, Protect the Warriors.
“We want this movement by West Bengal Junior Doctors Front to remain apolitical where the slogan is demand for justice, along with safety, security and basic working amenities for junior doctors,” said former RG Kar Medical College student Biplab Chandra, state secretary of Medical Service Centre.
Sources said doctors’ organisations like Service Doctors Form and Medical Service Centre kept themselves away from the rally.
On numerous occasions, junior doctors had raised ‘go back’ slogans to political leaders who had come near their protest sites. “It was up to the organisers as to who they will allow in their rally. This rally was not called by us. However, if those politicians had come without any political tag, it shouldn’t cause such a big issue,” said Rumelika Kumar of WBJDF.