West Bengal’s junior physicians are still on their “cease work” strike, calling for justice for the trainee doctor from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital who was raped and killed. The case of the doctor rape and murder in Kolkata has sparked significant protests throughout the state. The demonstrators are adamant about carrying on their agitation despite the Supreme Court’s directive for the doctors to return to work by Tuesday, September 10, at 5 p.m.
As part of the “9-9-9” protest on Monday night, enormous crowds assembled to demand justice for the victim by forming human chains and holding mobile torches for nine minutes at nine o’clock at night. Important parts of Kolkata, including Howrah, nearby, Jadavpur, Esplanade, and Shyambazar, were witness to this public protest.
The Bengal branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said it was “totally disheartened” by the court’s decision and voiced dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court’s order to restart operations. As a show of support, they also denounced the West Bengal government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for not doing enough to guarantee the victim’s justice. The IMA promised that demonstrations would not stop until justice was done.
The doctors in protest intend to march to the headquarters of the health department, Swasthya Bhavan, and demand the resignation of the director of health education and the state’s health secretary. One protester claims that the reason they decided to carry out their strike is because their demands have not been satisfied and there is no settlement.
During the hearing, the West Bengal government assured the Supreme Court that the medics would not face any punitive measures, including transfers, if they returned to work. As a result, the medics were ordered to resume their duties. This hasn’t stopped the demonstrators from going after their demands, though.
Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, has also been charged by the victim’s mother with lying about financial compensation. She said that after her daughter passed away, the CM made an offer of money, but she refused to take it until her daughter was given justice.
In the meantime, the CBI expressed doubts about the case’s forensic findings, characterizing it as potentially defective. The CBI’s attorney general, Tushar Mehta, informed the Supreme Court that additional testing on the samples would take place at AIIMS. The medical report, which included evidence of sexual assault and verified the murder to be homicidal, strengthened the demand for a comprehensive probe.
In addition to infuriating medical experts, this issue has given rise to a rising popular movement in West Bengal as people continue to demand justice.
SOURCE :
HINDUSTAN TIMES
