NEW DELHI: A protest march was organised by the Bengal Junior Docs’ 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 Road and resulted in Esplanade space, was joined by 1000’s of junior docs and other people from varied 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’ll proceed protesting on the streets until our sister will get justice. We have now chosen this present day 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 continuing ‘cease-work’ stir by docs in hospitals, protesting towards the heinous crime.
Because the rally concluded at Esplanade, leaders of the Bengal Junior Docs’ Entrance pledged to proceed their agitation till the federal government takes definitive motion. An agitating junior physician addressed the gang, saying, “We won’t surrender. That is about our security, our dignity, and justice for Abhaya. The federal government can’t count on us to stay silent whereas they do nothing.”
The rally attracted a various mixture of contributors, together with docs, 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 environment within the metropolis as a result of upcoming Durga Puja, the protesters maintained that their motion for justice took priority over celebrations. Aniket Mahato, one of many agitating junior docs, addressed the gang at Esplanade, saying, “At present is the 52nd day of our protest, and we’re nonetheless dealing with assaults. There is no such thing as a optimistic response from the state authorities towards assembly our security and safety calls for.”
The junior docs 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 docs had partially resumed providers after a 42-day strike however went again to the protest on Tuesday, citing the dearth of implementation of key calls for resembling enhanced security measures for medical employees.
The Bengal Junior Docs’ 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 employees, and stricter protocols to stop incidents of violence towards medical professionals. The docs have additionally highlighted the tradition of concern and intimidation inside state-run hospitals, alleging that the administration has not supplied a secure working setting. “We joined our career to serve the folks, however how can we accomplish that once we always dwell in concern? We do not really feel secure 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 docs’ considerations, the agitating docs declare that there was little follow-up motion. The federal government’s makes an attempt to dealer peace with the docs have to date 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 docs’ protest has acquired widespread assist from Kolkata’s common public, with many residents expressing solidarity with the motion. “This isn’t nearly docs. 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 together with her household.
As tensions between the junior docs and the state authorities intensify, the protest motion is anticipated to proceed within the coming weeks, at the same time as Kolkata prepares for its largest pageant of the yr.
In a symbolic gesture, a statue named ‘Abhaya’ was unveiled on RG Kar Hospital premises, which the agitating docs declare represents the horrific incident that occurred on August 9 and the continuing protests demanding justice. “This statue just isn’t of the sufferer, however an emblem of ache, torture she went by and the continuing protests,” a junior physician of the hospital advised reporters.
