Junior medics hold mass convention, to hold rally on Oct 30 demanding justice for RG Kar victim

KOLKATA: Within five days of withdrawing their fast-unto-death, agitating junior doctors in West Bengal on Saturday held a mass convention and decided to organise a rally to the CBI's office here on October 30 demanding justice for the RG Kar victim.

Following the mass convention held at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the attending doctors from various state-run medical establishments and representatives of civil society and celebrities from the Bengali entertainment industry organised a 'candle and fire torch' rally.

"It's been more than two-and-a-half months since our beloved sister was tortured and murdered and we still don't know who the real culprit is. So, at today's mass convention we have decided to hold a rally to the CBI office at CGO Complex on October 30," Aniket Mahato, one of the agitating doctors, said.

The West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum (WBJDF) on Saturday organised the mass convention to strategise their next move to seek justice for the RG Kar victim and ensure that the state government fulfils their demands.

Thirty-two representatives of the forum, and civil society representatives and celebrities spoke at the convention that started on Saturday afternoon and went on for more than six hours.

The participants also discussed the threat culture allegedly prevalent in various state-run hospitals, besides steps to be taken to exert pressure on the state government to make it fulfil their demands.

"We have called this mass convention to seek justice for our sister, who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Hospital on August 9," Mahato said.

"The protest started by a few doctors has now taken a massive shape. We wanted to know what happened at the seminar hall of the hospital (where the body was found). We had no idea that this movement would continue for so long and we would get the support of so many people," Debasish Halder, another agitating doctor, said at the programme.

On October 21, the agitating junior doctors called off their fast-unto-death, which started on October 5, following a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who assured them of looking into their demands.

On Saturday, the junior doctors also alleged that there were attempts to suppress the truth about what led to the rape and murder of the on-duty doctor at the RG Kar Hospital and that there were attempts to protect the culprits behind the incident.

"We wanted to know what was the truth and that is why we had pressed for a magisterial inquiry. There have been attempts to suppress the truth. We not only want justice but we also want to cleanse the system," Kinjal Nanda, another agitating doctor, said.

The 'cease-work' initiated by the junior doctors on August 9 following the recovery of the woman doctor's body at RG Kar Hospital continued for 42 days before the West Bengal government assured them of looking into their demands.

Meanwhile, another group of doctors, who got a stay order from the Calcutta High Court regarding their suspension issued by an internal committee allegedly for promoting 'threat culture' in medical colleges and hospitals, floated the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Association on Saturday.