With junior doctors continuing their protest near the Swastha Bhawan, West Bengal’s Health Department headquarters, in Kolkata for the fourth day, civil society groups and common people have come forward lending support to the protesters by providing food and other supplies.
Irrespective of their economic background, people have contributed to the movement in what has been one of the most organic outpourings of support. Local food stall owners and tea sellers have been consistently sitting around the protest site and supplying food to the doctors.
A man came from Chandannagar, a town near Kolkata, with supplies and utensils to cook food for the protesting doctors. Locals said the police did not allow him to cook on the road, but he found a spot on the Jadavpur University Salt Lake campus where he set up a makeshift kitchen. Students and contractual workers from the campus have been cooking dinner in large quantities to feed and sustain the doctors. Every night, they cook and set out in a mini-truck chanting “We want justice!” to distribute food.
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Protesting doctors said they were overwhelmed by the support they have received.
“People have been placing orders online and directing them towards us. People have sent us water, dry food and medicines in huge quantities. We don’t even know who is sending these. The delivery persons keep saying someone called them and said give it to the junior doctors sitting outside Swastha Bhawan,” said a doctor. The doctors said a delivery arrives every 10 minutes. People have also set up charging points and bio toilets around the protest site for the protesters.
Supporters have come with eggs, bananas, juices, fruits, handwash and other necessary items to help the doctors. An elderly man, who came with food late on Wednesday night, said, “I am here because these young people are like my grandchildren. They are fighting for a cause that I believe in. I want to contribute.” His age and failing health could not dampen his spirits.
Delivery persons came together as a community and handed over free bottled water and biscuits to the doctors. Some delivered tarpaulin sheets to help them build a makeshift shelter.
A man and his family arrived from a village in West Bengal and got food for the doctors. He said, “We are poor people. But this year I have used my Durga Puja budget to buy food for the young people who are fighting for the right cause.”
“I am crowdsourcing raincoats, tarpaulin, t-shirts, umbrellas and medicines from various people and sending out consignments in batches to the protest site,” social worker Pranaadhika Sinha Devburman told The Hindu.
Medical duties
On Wednesday night, a woman police constable fell ill following an asthma attack at the protest site. The protesting doctors responded and saved her life with an emergency inhaler. They then took her to the nearest hospital.
The doctors said a senior police officer thanked them for the emergency treatment. “Thank you. If you people were not there, we would not have been able to save her,” a doctor quoted a police officer as saying.
The doctors have also started an Abhaya Clinic at the protest site. “This clinic has no time limit. This will be open throughout the day till the time we are here at the protest site,” said a doctor. Doctors are attending to every patient approaching the health camp.
Published - September 13, 2024 09:05 pm IST
