Protesting doctors hold convention at R.G. Kar Hospital with fresh call for justice

Protesting junior doctors in West Bengal end hunger strike, hold mass convention to seek justice and discuss future actions.

After ending their 17-day hunger strike on October 21, the protesting junior doctors of West Bengal held a mass convention at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) on Saturday (October 26, 2024) to voice their concerns.

The doctors, who have been seeking justice for the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at the RGKMCH in August, said they would decide the future course of their agitation after consultation with stakeholders at the convention.

The convention featured talks, songs, and discussions that resonated with calls for justice. Civil society supporters of the doctors’ protest came in with placards and banners seeking justice. The doctors asked the participants to share their views about the next steps of the movement.

Protesting doctor Aniket Mahato said they had been on a journey for justice for over 77 days. He said, “In this journey, the call for justice has become broader. Everyone has found their own ways of protests. This movement has shown that protests can be peaceful, unlike the government’s belief.”

“The CBI chargesheet against prime accused Sanjay Ray should have details of why the government was so eager to save a civic volunteer, and the motive behind the crime,” said Mr. Mahato, who had participated in the fast.

The College of Medicine and JNM Hospital, Kalyani, where the RG Kar victim did her graduation, had also planned a mass convention on the same day in her memory. However, the college authorities cancelled the permission for the event, citing cyclone Dana and its after-effects. Doctors questioned the move by the authorities, saying the cyclone had already died down.

In a counter press conference, a new organisation, the West Bengal Junior Doctors Association (WBJDA) alleged that its members had been victimised by the protesting doctors and falsely accused of threat and intimidation. They said they were in the list of 51 doctors suspended from the RGKMCH over various allegations.