NEW DELHI: A protest march was organised by the Bengal Junior Medical doctors’ Entrance in Kolkata on Wednesday, demanding justice for a medic who was raped and murdered on the state-run RG Kar Medical School and Hospital in August. The march, which started at School Avenue and led to Esplanade space, was joined by hundreds of junior medical doctors and folks from numerous walks of life.The protesters vowed to proceed their agitation till the federal government takes decisive motion.
One of many protesters, figuring out herself as a colleague of the deceased, mentioned, “We’re not in a ‘Puja’ or ‘Utsav’ temper, and we are going to proceed protesting on the streets until our sister will get justice. We’ve chosen today of Mahalaya to ship out this message.”
The protesters carried placards and nationwide flags, elevating slogans and asserting their willpower to battle for justice. The march coincided with the continued ‘cease-work’ stir by medical doctors in hospitals, protesting in opposition to the heinous crime.
Because the rally concluded at Esplanade, leaders of the Bengal Junior Medical doctors’ Entrance pledged to proceed their agitation till the federal government takes definitive motion. An agitating junior physician addressed the gang, saying, “We is not going to hand over. That is about our security, our dignity, and justice for Abhaya. The federal government can not anticipate us to stay silent whereas they do nothing.”
The rally attracted a various mixture of individuals, together with medical doctors, nurses, medical college students, and anxious residents. Later, the protesters gathered on the banks of Ganga, lighting 1,000 diyas as a symbolic act of their battle for justice.
Regardless of the festive ambiance within the metropolis because of the upcoming Durga Puja, the protesters maintained that their motion for justice took priority over celebrations. Aniket Mahato, one of many agitating junior medical doctors, addressed the gang at Esplanade, saying, “At this time is the 52nd day of our protest, and we’re nonetheless dealing with assaults. There isn’t a optimistic response from the state authorities towards assembly our security and safety calls for.”
The junior medical doctors in West Bengal have resumed their ‘stop work’ protest, claiming that the state authorities has failed to meet the guarantees made in mid-September. The medical doctors had partially resumed companies after a 42-day strike however went again to the protest on Tuesday, citing the shortage of implementation of key calls for similar to enhanced security measures for medical employees.
The Bengal Junior Medical doctors’ Entrance has raised a number of calls for, together with the set up of CCTV cameras on hospital premises, round the clock safety for healthcare staff, and stricter protocols to stop incidents of violence in opposition to medical professionals. The medical doctors have additionally highlighted the tradition of concern and intimidation inside state-run hospitals, alleging that the administration has not supplied a protected working surroundings. “We joined our occupation to serve the folks, however how can we achieve this after we continuously dwell in concern? We do not really feel protected within the very locations the place we’re supposed to save lots of lives,” mentioned one other junior physician.
Regardless of preliminary guarantees by the West Bengal authorities to deal with the medical doctors’ considerations, the agitating medical doctors declare that there was little follow-up motion. The federal government’s makes an attempt to dealer peace with the medical doctors have up to now been unsuccessful, with state officers urging the medics to return to work and suggesting that police investigations into the alleged homicide of the junior physician are ongoing.
The junior medical doctors’ protest has acquired widespread assist from Kolkata’s basic public, with many residents expressing solidarity with the motion. “This isn’t nearly medical doctors. That is about justice, about security in our establishments, and about holding these in energy accountable,” mentioned Swati Mukherjee, a homemaker who joined the rally alongside along with her household.
As tensions between the junior medical doctors and the state authorities intensify, the protest motion is predicted to proceed within the coming weeks, at the same time as Kolkata prepares for its greatest pageant of the yr.
In a symbolic gesture, a statue named ‘Abhaya’ was unveiled on RG Kar Hospital premises, which the agitating medical doctors declare represents the horrific incident that occurred on August 9 and the continued protests demanding justice. “This statue is just not of the sufferer, however an emblem of ache, torture she went by means of and the continued protests,” a junior physician of the hospital instructed reporters.
