Junior Doctors March To Raj Bhavan, Submit Deputation Demanding Swift Probe

Hundreds of protesters gathered at Esplanade where the junior doctors have been on a hunger strike since October 5 for government’s response to their demands.

Kolkata: The agitating junior doctors of state-run health facilities of Bengal staged a protest march from the Esplanade area of Kolkata to Raj Bhavan on Monday to submit a deputation to Governor C V Ananda Bose, demanding a speedy probe by the central investigating agency into the RG Kar rape and murder case. However, the doctors could not get any assurance from the Governor.

Hundreds of protesters gathered at Esplanade where the junior doctors have been on a hunger strike since October 5 for the state government’s response to their 10-point charter of demands, which include a safe working zone, transparency in the recruitment process of doctors and healthcare staff, installation of CCTV cameras at all places inside state-run medical facilities and removal of some persons from key positions in the health department whom the junior doctors feel have been conspiring to promote ‘threat culture’ in the health sector.

“We have been on hunger strike for over 200 hours. Five of our colleagues in Kolkata and North Bengal Medical Colleges have already been hospitalised. We are committed and expect that the state government will come out with some response. Regarding the ongoing CBI probe into our colleague's rape and murder in RG Kar Hospital, we think the CBI is not probing the case with the required zeal. Hence, we are submitting a deputation to the Governor on the issue and we expect him to take up the matter with the authorities,” said Dr Debashis Halder, one of the protesting junior doctors and a leader of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF).

Reacting to the state Chief Secretary Manoj Pant’s meeting with Indian Medical Association, Bengal unit and other doctors’ forum representatives at the state health headquarters, Swasthya Bhavan, Dr Halder said, “The members of WBJDF have been on a hunger strike demanding justice for the RG Kar rape and murder victim, but we were never asked to participate in the meeting. So, we don’t know what that meeting is all about and we have no idea about the outcome of that meeting”.

Several civil society members including actors, thespians and artists joined the march. As the march reached the gates of Raj Bhavan, a delegation of 12 WBJDF members was allowed to meet the Governor, out of whom five members finally met and submitted the deputation. The protestors also blocked the Red Cross Place thoroughfare outside the north gate of Raj Bhavan north and raised slogans.

Several organisations representing doctors, the Joint Platform of Doctors and the WBJDF have called for a parallel protest rally to the Durga Puja immersion carnival, slated for October 15. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to inaugurate the carnival on the Red Road, while the doctors have dubbed their rally as ‘Droha Carnival’ at the adjacent Rani Rashmoni Avenue. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant has already urged the protesters to desist from holding the parallel protest rally.