Junior docs end ‘cease-work’; to fast unto death if demands not met in 24 hrs

Kolkata: On the 58th day of their ongoing movement demanding justice for the PGT doctor, the victim of the rape and murder at RG Kar, the junior doctors called off their “complete cease-work” while giving a 24-hour deadline to the state government to fulfill their demands, failing which they will fast unto death.

“We are withdrawing our cease-work from today. If anyone thinks we took such a decision due to pressure from the state government or that we are afraid because we lack public support, they are mistaken. People are with us, and to demonstrate our unity, we are withdrawing our cease-work,” stated Debashish Halder, a junior doctor, during a press conference.

“We are trying to put pressure on the CBI through our movement. We believe the arrests including Asish Pandey are a result of this pressure. If we vacate Rajpath, even this progress might halt. If necessary, we are prepared to take our protest to Delhi,” a junior doctor said.

However, they will continue to hold a sit-in demonstration at Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala with a clock that symbolises the deadline set by them.

After a 42-day cease-work in protest of the RG Kar incident, junior doctors had partially resumed their duties at government hospitals. However, following an assault against hospital staff by the relatives of a patient at Sagar Dutta Hospital in North 24-Parganas district, the junior doctors resumed their cease-work on October 1.

They are demanding that the state government address various issues, including the need for enhanced safety and security in hospitals.

To decide the course of their movement, junior doctors from various medical colleges held a meeting with senior doctors on Thursday.

It was learned that senior doctors urged the juniors to resume work and continue their movement in other forms.

A rally was taken out from SSKM Hospital to Dharmatala by the junior doctors on Friday evening on a 10-point demand. It was expected that the junior doctors would announce the withdrawal of the cease-work at the end of the rally.

However, the situation escalated when junior doctors got into an altercation with the police after some of their colleagues were allegedly manhandled by the police at the Metro Channel in Dharmatala. The junior doctors claimed that a few of their colleagues were dragged away by some policemen. In protest, the junior doctors started a sit-in demonstration around 7 pm, which obstructed a portion of the Dorina Crossing.

Due to the sudden agitation of the junior doctors, common people faced immense trouble while shopping and commuting in the Esplanade area. Several people were seen deboarding buses and walking along the road to reach their destinations.

Also, a good number of people who were returning home after office were seen getting harassed due to the protest.

Later, the junior doctors announced the withdrawal of cease-work and their plan to go on a hunger strike if demands were not met by the state government within 24 hours and moved to the side of the road.