R.G. Kar case: Protesting junior doctors call off hunger strike after meeting Mamata

The two week long hunger strike came to an end after repeated requests from the government. Both parties have agreed to form a task force by March 2025

The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front decided to call off their hunger strike on Monday (October 21, 2024) after a two-hour-long meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee earlier in the day. The resident doctors have been on a fast-unto-death at Esplanade in the heart of Kolkata since October 5. More than half a dozen of the doctors had to be hospitalised from the protest site after their health deteriorated.

The development assumes significance as Ms. Banerjee had for the past few days asked the doctors to withdraw their hunger strike and come to the discussion table.

The 31-year-old rape and murder victim’s parents had reached the indefinite hunger strike stage in support of her colleagues who are protesting to ask for justice. The victim’s parents said that they do not want to tragically lose another child like their own to this hunger strike.

Follow LIVE updates from the meeting between protesting junior doctors and Bengal CM

The doctors said that many factions of civil society have also requested them to lift the hunger strike and keep fighting for their demands in other ways.

Debasish Haldar, speaking on behalf of the junior doctors, said: “Respecting the victim’s parents request and the multiple requests made by the civil society, we are withdrawing the indefinite hunger strike. We have also decided to drop our plans to cease all medical services from tomorrow, October 22, which we had previously called for.”

While breaking the fast, Rumelika Kumar, a fasting doctor, said: “We are solely lifting the fast on request of Abhaya’s parents and the civil society’s urges. We are not doing it because of the government’s requests or we are intimidated by them.”

Ms. Banerjee had said during the meeting that it is the doctors’ democratic right to protest. She added, “I urge you to lift the protests and fast as soon as possible. I ask for reports about your well-being every hour. You tell me what you want not once, but ten times if you want. But please lift the strike.”

A few hours after the meeting, the junior doctors responded to the discussions in the meeting and said that they are lifting the hunger strike.

Dr. Haldar said that the authorities may have given some positive responses verbally, but their body language was not welcoming or inclusive in any way. Dr. Haldar said, “We were not allowed to wear our ‘We want justice’ badge inside the meeting.”

Junior doctors further stated that they do not know if the assurances that the government gave today were only to dismiss them and dilute their movement or they had any basis of reality which they will live up to.

Two-hour meeting

Protesting junior doctors in Kolkata met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna (State Secretariat) to discuss their 10-point charter of demands. The meeting came out with a resolution to set up and elect a task force by March 2025.

The doctors and the Chief Minister held a two-hour long discussion as their colleagues continued their 17-day long indefinite hunger strike in the heart of Kolkata. In a first, the meeting was live telecast on television from the State Secretariat in the presence of multiple stakeholders. There were various moments during the meeting when the Chief Minister was interjected by the stakeholders.

Chief Secretary Manoj Pant had asked for only 10 doctors to be present at the meeting, but 17 doctors participated. Multiple other stakeholders were also present at the meeting, including Medical Superintendents cum Vice-Principals (MSVPs) from five medical colleges and college principals, along with senior doctors.

‘No going back’

Before going to the meeting, the doctors held a public meeting and reiterated that they will not back out from the strike if concrete steps are not taken by the government during the talks.

Mr. Pant said that they have formed an interim State-level task force and grievance committee which can be accessed by all medical professional stakeholders so they can share their issues. “The different committees where you seek representation will be possible only when they are elected bodies. We let you know in writing that we will initiate processes to ensure medical college-level elections are held by March 2025, after exams are completed,” the Chief Secretary said.

On threat culture

Ms. Banerjee agreed with the protesting junior resident doctors’ grievance about removing and reducing threat culture in the State-run hospitals. “You need to be free of threat culture. Just because I am in power, I threaten someone, or someone threatens someone because they are in power. This cannot happen. No one can threaten anyone,” she said.

The CM further stated that peace should be restored through an elected grievance body. She said that medical bodies and councils can only be changed through an election process and there are rules set in place for it. They are autonomous bodies and no one can change that without due process, she added.

She further said that it is not possible to meet all demands in one day as it needs sufficient time. She also assured that they will perform capacity building in hospitals as per the economic capacity of the State.

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Mr. Pant said the State government has already started a central referral system as a pilot project. He requested the doctors to send suggestions about operating this system smoothly and expressed hope that it could be scaled up from November 1.

They also promised to share a written directive by 3 p.m. on Tuesday (October 22, 2024) about the doctors’ demands. The written directive was one of the top demands put forth by the doctors.

Before going to the meeting, the doctors had said that they demand the removal of Health Secretary N.S. Nigam from his post as they had seen several documents that showed evidence of corruption in medical institutions and were approved by the Principal Health Secretary. But the CM said that one cannot accuse anyone of being a suspect until it is proved.

The last meeting between the Ms. Banerjee and doctors took place on September 16 at the CM’s residence after which the doctors had revoked their cease work protest and sit-in demonstrations.

On Saturday (October 26, 2024), they are set to hold a mass convention at the R.G. Kar Medical College in the city.

Published - October 21, 2024 09:08 pm IST