RG Kar protest: Hunger strike by junior doctors enters day 12

Kolkata, Oct 16 (IANS) The fast-unto-death demonstration by a group of junior doctors at Esplanade in central Kolkata in the aftermath of the rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, entered the 12th day on Wednesday. 

The total number of junior doctors on hunger strike at the dais at Esplanade now stands at seven, with Rumelika Kumar from All India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health and Spandan Chowdhury from Midnapore Medical College & Hospital joining the other hunger-strikers from Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, with the Durga Puja getting over, Kolkata Police, hell-bent on controlling the continuing protest on the tragedy, have extended prohibitory orders around the R.G. Kar complex in North Kolkata till October 30 against assembly of five or more people in that entire area.

Section 163 of the newly enacted Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita has been imposed in the entire area covering Shyambazar five-point crossing, Tala, Shyampukur and Ultadanga, among others.

Reacting to the extension of the prohibitory orders, a protesting junior doctor said that such oppressive steps are meaningless since the protests over the ghastly rape and murder is not limited to just Kolkata or West Bengal, it has become a national affair.

So far five junior doctors who had been participating in the hunger strike, which started on the evening of October 5, had to be hospitalised following severe deteriorations in their medical conditions.

According to a representative of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF), the umbrella body of junior doctors spearheading the protest movement, informed that the conditions of those who are still on hunger strike, especially those who started the process on October 5 evening are deteriorating fast.

Meanwhile, representatives from civil society like actress-cum-film director Aparna Sen and educationist Pabitra Sarkar have appealed to West Bengal government to adopt a more humane approach towards the demands of the junior doctors and initiate discussions to resolve the continuing impasse.