Kolkata: The protest on the streets by the junior doctors in front of the West Bengal Health Department headquarters at Salt Lake entered the third day on Thursday.
The junior doctors, who are agitating against the rape and murder of a fellow doctor at the R. G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, have made it clear that they will not call off their protests until their demands are fulfilled.
After rejecting two consecutive calls from the state government for discussions, first on Tuesday and then on Wednesday, the protesting doctors on Thursday morning reiterated their stand that they would go for discussion only after their four-point conditions for the same were accepted.
The protestors’ conditions for discussion are – a delegation of 30 representatives, a meeting in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a live telecast of the meeting for transparency among all parties and a meeting based on the five-point agenda outlined since the beginning.
One of the major demands in the five-point agenda already outlined includes the suspension of the State Health Secretary, State Director of Health Services and Director of Medical Education.
“We have received overwhelming support from the common people and the students of institutions like Jadavpur University, who are flooding us with food, water and other items to ensure that we can continue our protests till our demands are fulfilled. Many people from other professions are coming to us and expressing their solidarity,” said a protesting doctor on Thursday morning.
One such example of spontaneous public support was reflected in the gesture of Milan Bose, a resident from far away Garia on the southern outskirts of Kolkata. On Thursday morning he came to the protest venue carrying a poster.
“It’s my birthday. I have come here to celebrate it with protesting doctors fighting for justice,” the poster read.
Earlier on Monday, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court had set a deadline of 5 p.m. on Tuesday for the protesting junior doctors to resume duty. After that, the Chief Minister also issued the same appeal.
However, despite that, the protesting doctors are carrying out their determined agitation seeking justice for the rape and murder victim.
–IANS