The junior doctors protesting over the rape-murder of a fellow postgraduate medical student at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital have called a “mass convention” on October 26 to take a call on how to proceed with their agitation.

Ashfaqulla, a junior doctor at RG Kar Hospital, said they were not satisfied with their meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat, Nabanna, on Monday.

Some junior doctors were of the opinion that their demands were not discussed in detail in Monday’s meeting.

Ashfaqulla added, “We had the ‘We Want Justice’ badges on our clothes. We were told to take it off and enter the meeting venue. None of us agreed to this. But we were forced to take off the badge citing administrative norms. We agreed because our main aim was to have a constructive dialogue with the government.”

Ashfaqullah said, “We felt that she spoke more as a party leader than as the Chief Minister. She presented various statistics which we already know. Our purpose is to improve the state’s health sector by working on the weaknesses.”

Another junior doctor at the RG Kar Hospital said, “If there was a place to speak today, maybe we wouldn’t have lost
our sister like this. We need a democratic space where we can raise our problems. That’s why these committees are
important.”