RG Kar protests: Junior doctors delegation, CM begin talks after govt allows transcription of proceedings

Kolkata, Sep 16 (IANS) After several abortive attempts, the meeting between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a delegation of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF), spearheading the movement against the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata, to end the ongoing impasse finally started at her south Kolkata residence around 7.10 p.m. on Monday. 

Sources said that the meeting, which was slated for 5 p.m., had started smoothly after the two professional stenographers accompanying the 30-member delegation to record the minutes of the meeting on behalf of the protesting junior doctors were allowed entry to the meeting venue.

Besides the Chief Minister and the delegates, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and the state Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty were also there at the meeting.

Before the meeting began, Banerjee told media persons that she was hopeful of the outcome of the meeting.

The bus carrying the junior doctors reached the Chief Minister’s residence at 6.15 p.m. - an hour and 15 minutes late from the scheduled meeting time.

However, the doctors had also made it clear that as regards their ongoing cease-work and protests, no decision will be conveyed at the meeting.

"We will come back after attending the meeting, discuss the outcome of the meeting with all concerned, and then announce our decision. There will be no compromise on our five-point agenda of demands," a protesting junior doctor said.

Earlier, before leaving for the Chief Minister’s residence after accepting the fresh invitation, the WBJDF told the Chief Secretary that the government should accept any one of their three conditions - either "videography of the meeting by a separate videographer by both the parties" or the "entire video file of the meeting to be handed over to WBJDF representatives immediately after the meeting", or "minutes with full transcript of the meeting be recorded and formulated by both the parties (WBJDF will bring their own minutes and transcript takers in the meeting) and duly signed by the attendees and handed over at the end of the meeting as stated by Honourable CM previously".

The WBJDF emphasised that these three alternative suggestions have become important considering the arrests of former R.G. Kar principal Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police station Abhijit Mondal by the CBI in the rape and murder case after the last scheduled meeting at the same venue on Saturday, which failed to fructify due to their videography demand. The delegation had even refused Chief Minister Banerjee's invitation for "a cup of tea" after the meeting failed to take off.

In his response to the WBJDF, the Chief Secretary said that it has already been clarified in the previous mail sent by him to the forum earlier in the day that representatives of both parties will sign the minutes at the end of the meeting and copies will be shared with each party to ensure clarity and agreement on the discussions.