RG Kar case: Protesting doctors get food, water from people

Kolkata, Sep 11 (IANS) Junior doctors, who are on a sit-in protest in front of Swastha Bhavan, the West Bengal health department headquarters, over the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, have received overwhelming support from people.

Since Tuesday night, several individuals and representatives from community-based organisations have flocked to the site with food and adequate drinking water. Expressing solidarity with their protest and ensuring that the protesting junior doctors can continue with their movement till their demands are fulfilled, people are silently converging at the spot.

Even bio-toilets and temporary washrooms have been arranged near the protest spot for the convenience of the protesters, especially women. The students from Jadavpur University (JU)’s Salt Lake also reached the spot with a truck full of food items and drinking water for the protesting doctors.

West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF) under whose banner the protest demonstrations are being organised, has issued a statement profusely thanking those, especially the common people, who have extended the supporting hands in solidarity.

“Your love and spontaneous cooperation have overwhelmed us. We will be ever grateful to you for the manner in which you all have provided us with support, food and water since last night. As of now, we have sufficient stock of food and water. Arrangements for washrooms for women protesters have also been made. We will approach you in case we need anything,” the WBJDF statement read.

The protests by junior doctors are going on despite the deadline set by the Supreme Court on Monday asking the protesters to rejoin duty by 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

On Tuesday evening, the protesting doctors even rejected a call from the state government to send a small delegation to the state secretariat Nabanna and hold a discussion with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, newly-appointed Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and the state health secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam.

Thousands of representatives from the medical fraternity from all corners of the state, including senior and junior doctors, medical students and representatives from the nursing fraternity, on Tuesday led a protest march towards Swastha Bhavan.

On being stopped near the entrance, the protesters started a sit-in demonstration at the spot, which is continuing.