Even though the junior doctors in West Bengal have withdrawn the total cease work strike, they sat on a protest on Saturday at central Kolkata. The doctors are accusing the police of using baton charge during an aggressive protest over the sudden death of a woman doctor from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Despite the adverse weather, junior doctors of Bengal commenced the protest demonstration at night at Esplanade area, while some demonstrated standing under the umbrella and the others under a plastic tent used around the Dorina Crossing.
It is a result of an action where police used force on Friday to dismantle junior doctors rally from SSKM Hospital at southern Kolkata to esplanade. Although the doctors officially called off their “total cease work” around 8:30 PM that evening, they were categorical that in the next 24 hours, if their demands were not met by the West Bengal government, they would go on a fast unto death.
During the protest the doctors erected a huge clock to highlight hours since their demands were made. There are no easy fights when one is fighting for justice. But one would have thought that the state government would afford better treatment. The conduct of police personnel, especially baton charging and verbally abusing the participants, was unwarranted, and protesters want a formal apology from the force, said Debasish Halder, one of the junior doctors representing the protestors.
Halder further stressed ‘We will not get out of this site until we receive an apology.’ Junior doctors from RG Kar Medical College were accompanied by junior doctors from other state medical colleges and hospitals thus giving the ongoing protest more potency.
”Time is up for the government to accept liabilities and demonstrate an interest in finding a solution to the problem,” said another protester, Aniket Mahato. They have blocked major road networks in the area and police have cordoned off the protest ground.
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