Kolkata doctors’ protest highlights: Doctors return to protest site after stand off over livestreaming of talks; Governor announces social boycott of Mamata

The agitating junior doctors on Thursday (September 12, 2024) blamed the West Bengal administration for its rigidness in not allowing live streaming of the meeting to resolve the RG Kar stalemate and asserted that they never sought the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as offered by her.

Another medic said the protestors never sought the resignation of Ms. Banerjee.

“This is not our aim at all, our aim is justice (for the murdered RG Kar hospital doctor). Nowhere in our five demands have we demanded her resignation. Our demand is clear. We want those creating hurdles in the path of justice to be brought under the purview of law. Not even the parents of the victim have demanded her resignation,” she said.- PTI

In view of the snow balling public protest against Mamata Banerjee and government’s inaction in giving justice to the people and open violation of constitutional proprieties, Bengal Governor Dr C V Ananda Bose today announced social boycott of Mamata Banerjee. The Governor will avoid any public function in which CM is present and will not share any public platform with her. 

However, in May, 2024, a Raj Bhavan employee alleged that she was sexually harassed by West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose. According to police sources, the woman, who is a contractual employee at the Raj Bhavan since 2019, has accused the Governor of sexual harassment on two occasions. 

The doctors said that live streaming the meeting would help ensure transparency. “We have not made any unjustified demand. The demand of live streaming was for maintaining transparency. If there can be multiple press conferences on the incident, what was the issue with live streaming?” asked one of the protesting doctors, adding that the CM’s remark that protesters “want her chair” was unfortunate. 

Sabit Hussain, a junior doctor from West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF), told The Hindu that they stressed on the live streaming of the meeting because they feel Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is answerable to the people of Bengal as they have participated hugely in this movement. 

He said though the government officials have talked about the video recording, there was no guarantee how the protesters can access the recording.

The junior doctor condemned the CM’s statement that doctors want to grab power as just another attempt to malign the movement. He said that CM may not have intention to listen to our demands but still we believe that our demands will be heard. 

“Abhaya’s parents have put the responsibility of getting justice on us and the question of getting justice depends on fulfilment of our five demands. We are going back to the protest site and will continue our movement,” says Dr. Hussain.

The impasse between government and doctors continues as government rejects doctors demand. CM Mamata Banerjee said that she tried thrice to hold talks with junior doctors to end RG Kar stalemate. “For people’s sake, I am ready to resign; I also want justice for murdered RG Kar hospital doctor,” says Ms. Banerjee.

From the time of starting their sit-in spot outside Swasthya Bhavan, the health department headquarters, the junior doctors demanded of live streaming of their meeting along with their five demands of justice for the rape and murder of R.G. Kar doctor and dismantling of the corruption and “threat culture” practised by the ruling party members in government medical colleges.

In a dramatic turn of events, agitating junior doctors have refused to join the Bengal government’s proposal for talks in presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee so far to resolve the RG Kar hospital impasse after the state rejected their demand for live streaming of the meeting.

The protestors who reached the secretariat at around 5.25 pm, some 25 minutes past the scheduled time of commencement of the meeting, stayed put at the venue threshold for over an hour and were seen engaged in meetings even as a high-strung battle of nerves ensued between the two sides with both staying firm on their respective stands.- PTI

After the junior doctors insisted on holding the talk in the presence 30 doctors instead of government mandated 15 doctors, West Bengal’s Chief Secretary Manoj Pant said that they have agreed to talk with the team of 30 doctors but government doesn’t give any affirmative reply on the doctors’ demand of live streaming of the meeting. 

The doctors who arrived at the State Secretariat are insisting on live streaming of the meeting, which the state government is not accepting as a prerequisite to the meeting. The Chief Minister has been waiting for over one and half hours, State’s Chief Secretary Manoj Pant said.

At the meeting venue, both doctors and senior government officials were separately huddled in meetings, perceptively to decide whether or not to live stream the meeting proceedings. -PTI

Escorted by a pilot police vehicle, the delegation reached the secretariat at around 5.25 pm, some 25 minutes past the scheduled time of commencement of the meeting.

The delegation was seen waiting till 5.45 pm outside Nabanna Sabhaghar, the meeting venue at the secretariat, completing entry formalities for all members of the delegation who were granted access by the government. -PTI

Before starting from their sit-in spot outside Swasthya Bhavan, the health department headquarters, the protesters stated they would not settle for anything less than a live stream of the talks, which had earlier been rejected by the state chief secretary in its latest invitation for the meeting.

A team of 30 junior doctors reach Nabanna to hold a talk with Chief Minster. Though the government has only agreed to talk with 15 doctors, doctors didn’t budge on from their condition of having the meeting in the presence of 30 junior doctors from 26 medical colleges.

The five-point demands of the protesting doctors comprise punishment to all possible culprits involved in the rape, murder and the alleged tampering of evidence; disciplinary action against former R.G. Kar principal Sandip Kumar Ghosh; removal of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and disciplinary action against Deputy Commissioner, North, and Deputy Commissioner, Central; increased security for healthcare workers; and a remedy for the alleged ‘threat culture’ in government healthcare facilities.

While doctors wanted their meeting to happen within media presence and a live telecast of the meeting, the Chief Secretary stated in his letter, “The meeting shall not be live telecast. However, the same can be recorded to maintain transparency. This will serve the purpose intended from your end, while also maintaining the sanctity of the proceedings, ensuring that all discussions are accurately documented.”- PTI

In a fresh invitation to the agitating junior doctors, the West Bengal government on Thursday (September 12, 2024) gave a 5 pm slot for a meeting to end the impasse over the RG Kar hospital incident, but rejected the protesters’ demand for live telecast of the talks.

This is the third offer from the state government for talks in the last two days, with the agitators rejecting the previous two proposals and setting concrete conditions for the meet.- PTI

“There are doctors from 26 medical colleges in the state who are participating in this protest movement. Even if we choose one member from each college, it is not possible to have a delegation of less than 30 people,” the medic said and confirmed that they have already arranged a bus for transporting the delegation to the secretariat. The doctors insisted on having a live stream of the proceedings of the proposed meeting on grounds that they “have nothing to hide”.- PTI

The protesters also stated they would not settle for anything less than a live stream of the talks, which had earlier been rejected by the state chief secretary in its latest invitation for the meeting. “We welcome the chief secretary’s invitation and confirmation that the CM would be present at the meeting. We will attend the meeting with an open mind, but it has to be centred around the issue of providing justice to our colleague and ensuring security for doctors across the state,” a protesting doctor said.- PTI