Junior doctors have been on the road for more than two days, protesting outside the West Bengal Health Department’s office over the Kolkata rape and murder case. As doctors continued their protest, locals and intellectuals came forward and arranged for food, water, and fans for them.
Dr Sukumar Mukherjee, a senior doctor, was seen arranging breakfast for the junior doctors on protest. Speaking to News18, he said, “They are working so hard for our rights, who likes to stay on the road overnight? They are like our children, our fraternity. The entire country feels about this movement and that’s why when our brothers and sisters are on the road for an important cause, it’s our duty to arrange for their food and breakfast.”
Senior doctors were not the only group which came to support junior doctors, people from all fraternities were seen coming forward. A group of women in their fifties came early in the morning with water and breakfast for the students. Some also cooked food for the students.
Speaking to News18, one of the women, Maya Roy, said, “We are all mothers and ex-students of Kamala Girls school. When our sons and daughters are here on the road, it is our responsibility to provide this much to them.”
Jadavpur University students also arranged for food for the protesting student doctors on Tuesday night.
People from different housing societies also came forward to offer food, tea, and chocolates to these doctors. Soheli Das, who came from a housing society in Saltlake, told News18, “Everyone is a part of this movement, as we all want justice for Abhaya. They are the frontrunners here. If they can sit on the road for so long, why can’t we come and stand by them?”
The delivery boys of different companies were also seen coming with food to support the protesting students.
Another woman, Alokananda Mukherjee, came to the protest site with plastic bags, and sheets on which students could sit. Speaking to News18, she said, “These kids are the top 10 per cent of our society. They are medical students. We are proud of them. What have we done to them? They are bright students sitting on the road protesting against the system. This is what we have given them and they deserve way better.”
Dr Aniket Mahato, who is part of the movement, told News18, “We never thought that we would get so much support from common people. This proves that this is common people’s fight.”
Actress Swastika Mukherjee, and singer Lagnajita, were also seen organising tarpaulins and fans for students. Speaking to News18, Lagnajita said, “We are in this movement from the very first day. I don’t know how we will get justice, we have high regards for the judiciary. What I realised in this movement is that this is our Kolkata, where everyone is standing for the same cause. After work, we are awake every night. I haven’t bought big things for myself in the last 10 years, but standing by these doctors is making me feel happy. The entire Kolkata is here and everyone has come here to help. Food, tarpaulin, sanitary napkins, dry fruits, anything we want, people are bringing here.”
LETTERS EXCHANGED BETWEEN DOCTORS, AUTHORITIES
On Wednesday, the government had rejected the doctors’ demands for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s presence and a live broadcast as preconditions for talks to resolve the impasse.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health, Chandrima Bhattacharya, said the government remains open to discussions, but suggested that “political forces” might be influencing the protests.
This led to a quick rebuttal from the medics, who dismissed the claims as baseless, and asserted that the protests would continue till their demands were met.
The state government had invited the agitating doctors to a meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna at 6 pm on Wednesday, but the invitation did not confirm whether Banerjee would attend it.
Earlier, on Tuesday, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, in an email, had urged the doctors to send a delegation of 12 to 15 members and stressed the importance of resuming work, citing a Supreme Court order directing them to return to duty by 5 pm on Tuesday.
Despite the invitation, the junior doctors insisted on several preconditions before agreeing to the meeting.
Taking exception to the “language of the email”, the agitating junior doctors rejected Mamata Banerjee’s invitation for talks. Later, the doctors conveyed that although “doors remain open” for talks with the state’s highest authorities, they would continue with their agitation till their demands are met.
In the “clean up Swasthya Bhavan” march earlier, the doctors demanded the resignations of the Health Secretary, Director of Health Education (DHE), and Director of Health Services (DHS), besides pressing for marching orders of Kolkata Police Commissioner, Vineet Goyal, as part of their five-point demand charter.
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