Kolkata rape-murder, Mamata came to meet junior doctors: said- Didi has come, not the Chief Minister; the government had called 3 times, but the protesters did not go
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday personally visited the junior doctors protesting outside the Health Bhavan in Kolkata. The doctors have been protesting here since September 10. Mamata told the doctors, “It is not my position, but the position of the people that is bigger. I have come to meet you not as the Chief Minister, but as your Didi.”
Mamta said-
You go back to work, I will consider your demands. I will tell the CBI to hang the culprits. I salute your protest. I will not let injustice happen to you.
Mamata further said that this is my last attempt at talks. No action will be taken against you because I do not believe in suppressing democratic movements. Mamata also announced the dissolution of the Rogi Kalyan Samitis of all government hospitals in the state.
Mamata has taken the initiative of holding talks with the doctors thrice so far. However, the doctors rejected all her three proposals. They have 5 demands. They have also laid down 4 conditions for talks with the government. Junior doctors have been on strike for 36 days over the rape-murder case in RG Kar Medical College.
Mamta called 3 times; kept waiting, but the doctors did not arrive…
10 September: Doctors took out a march from the police headquarters to the health building. Mamata government called the doctors to the Nabanna secretariat for a meeting at 5 pm. Mamata sat there for about an hour and 20 minutes. The doctors did not come. The doctors said – the one whose resignation we are demanding (state health secretary) is the one who is calling for the meeting. Even in that, the government called only 10 doctors. This is an insult to the movement.
September 11: Junior doctors sent an email to the Bengal government asking for a meeting time. The government gave the time of 6 pm. However, the doctors remained adamant on their 4 conditions for the meeting. The government refused to accept the conditions.
12 September: The Bengal government called the doctors for talks for the third time. 32 doctors reached the secretariat. The government had called only 15. They were told that the meeting would not be telecast live. This angered the doctors and they did not go to the meeting. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee kept waiting there for 2 hours and 10 minutes.
The Supreme Court had asked to end the strike by September 10. During the hearing of the Kolkata rape-murder case on September 9, the Supreme Court had ordered the junior doctors to return to work by 5 pm on September 10. The court had also warned of strict action if the order was not followed. However, the doctors say that they will not return to duty until their demands are met.
The doctors opened Abhaya Clinic outside Swasthya Bhavan on September 13 and started treating people. The Kolkata trainee doctor has been named Abhaya on the lines of Nirbhaya, the changed name of the rape-murder victim in Delhi.
The junior doctors did not move from outside the health building despite heavy rain yesterday. Aniket Mahato, one of the agitators, said, “Rain, heat, earthquake will not be able to stop our protest until we get justice for Abhaya and our other demands are met.”
Protesting doctor Soumya Chakraborty said, ‘If someone is thinking that we are stubborn then it is absolutely wrong. We are doctors, not politicians. We are not doing any politics. We are just demanding to clean up the health system.’
Doctors have written a letter to PM Modi and President Murmu demanding their intervention. They have asked the President and Prime Minister to intervene in the matter. They sent a letter to President Draupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi on Thursday (12 September) night. They wrote- Your intervention will show us the way out of the darkness that surrounds us.
The doctors wrote-
We are placing our issues before you as the head of the nation so that our unfortunate friend who was the victim of the most heinous crime can get justice. Your intervention in this difficult time will act as a ray of light for all of us, which will show us the way out of the darkness that surrounds us.
