Kolkata's junior doctors protesting RG Kar incident begin 'fast unto death' until demands are met
KOLKATA: The junior doctors, protesting over the rape and murder of a colleague at the RG Kar hospital, went on fast unto death on Saturday evening, claiming that their demands were not fulfilled by the West Bengal government.
The doctors have said that they will join duty as promised but will not eat anything. At present, six junior doctors have initiated the fast.
"The state government has failed the deadline and hence we are starting the fast unto death, which will continue till our demands are fulfilled. To maintain transparency, we have installed CCTV cameras at the dais where our colleagues are holding the fast," a junior doctor said.
"We joined duty last night but will not eat anything," he said, adding that at present six junior doctors were sitting on fast.
The six doctors who were sitting on the fast were identified as Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja and Anustup Mukhopadhyay of Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, SSKM's Arnab Mukhopadhyay, Pulastha Acharya of NRS Medical College and Hospital, and Sayantani Ghosh Hazra of KPC Medical College.
The state would be held responsible if any doctor fell ill during the fast, the junior doctor said.
"We have the support of the people, and that is the reason we are not scared of any sort of hindrances by the administration. We will continue our hunger strike until our demands are met," he added.
A large number of common people and a few celebrities were present at the protest site in the evening.
Dr. Aniket Mahata, one of the protesting doctors, stressed that the protests will continue in various forms. "We have ended the ceasework, not the agitation. Protests will continue in various forms. We will see it to the end till we get justice. We will continue our sit-in and start a hunger strike after completing our duties," he said.
A day earlier, the doctors began a sit-in at Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala, setting a 24-hour deadline for the state government to fulfil their demands as promised.
"The state government has failed the deadline and hence we are starting the fast unto death till our demands are fulfilled. To maintain transparency, we have installed CCTV cameras at the dais where our colleagues will be holding the fast," a junior doctor said.
They also pointed out that the government admitted before the Supreme Court that only a few measures have been implemented and is unwilling to engage in discussions.
On Wednesday, undergraduate and postgraduate students, junior doctors, and interns from North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri held a torchlight procession protesting the rape and murder of a female doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Meanwhile, doctors from private hospitals lit earthen lamps at Ganga Ghat in Kolkata as a mark of protest over the same incident.
Earlier, on Monday, the Supreme Court requested a report from the National Task Force concerning safety and other issues related to professionals in the case of the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, issued this directive while hearing the suo motu petition regarding the incident.
The top court had previously constituted a national task force to examine safety concerns and consider developing an action plan to prevent gender-based violence and ensure a dignified working environment for interns, residents, and non-resident doctors. The court had asked the task force to submit an interim report.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court enquired about the measures taken by the West Bengal government regarding the installation of CCTV cameras, the construction of toilets, and biometric systems. The court also questioned the state's slow progress in implementing the safety and security measures.
Senior Advocate Dwivedi, representing West Bengal, explained that logistical delays caused by floods had hindered progress but assured that work would be completed by October 15.
The apex court also noted the status report submitted by West Bengal, which indicated ongoing work.
Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing on behalf of the victim's parents, informed the court that numerous social media posts revealing the victim's name and photographs were still circulating, which was deeply concerning.
Following this, the court reiterated its directive to all social media intermediaries to remove any posts disclosing the victim's name and identity.
(With additional inputs from PTI, ANI and ENS)