Mass signature campaign, ‘yatra’ plan by West Bengal junior doctors
Times of India | 18 October 2024
KOLKATA: The West Bengal Junior Doctors Front (WBJDF) started a mass signature campaign in support of their agitation on 10 demands on Thursday.
They have also called a ‘yatra for justice’ from Sodepur to Esplanade on Saturday. It has also called a meeting with various senior doctor organisations to plan joint activities to achieve their 10-point demands.
WBJDF said the mass signature campaign was meant for getting support for the 10-point demands.
While the campaign was launched at four different locations in the city, the junior doctors alleged that three matador vans, used for the signature campaign, were booked by the Kolkata Police.
“On Saturday, we are organising a march from the Sodepur residence of our colleague, who was raped and murdered, to our protest site at Esplanade. We are calling this ‘yatra for justice’. We call upon every individual in solidarity with our hunger strike to arrange for similar yatras in their own capacity,” said a junior doctor.
In order to keep their movement going, the junior doctors are planning various activities apart from the hunger strike. The meeting held till late on Thursday night with senior doctors was to plan such activities ahead.
The doctor bodies invited by WBJDF include IMA Bengal, FEMA, Joint platform of Doctors, Service Doctors’ Forum, Protect the Warriors and Medical Service. All these organisations had also attended a meeting called by the state chief secretary on Monday at Swasthya Bhawan.
“We will be giving our suggestions on how to sustain this historic movement. The rest is up to the WBJDF,” said Sajal Biswas, general secretary, Service Doctors’ Forum.
Representatives of other doctor organisations said they will be participating in the virtual meet that may go till late into the night. All were unanimous that the movement has to go on till all demands are met. This is the second time WBJDF has called senior doctor bodies to a meeting for their suggestions.
Junior doctors said they will compile the suggestions and place them before the core committee.