Healthcare workers of Kolkata brought out a mahamicchil (mega rally) on Mahalaya on Wednesday and unveiled a statue in memory of the doctor who was raped and killed on duty at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
The bust, unveiled by junior and senior doctors on Wednesday morning, has been established outside the Platinum Jubilee building of the R.G. Kar Medical College and has been titled ‘Abhaya’ after the name given to the victim by the public.
Artist Asit Sanhi gives finishing touches to the symbolic statue of R.G. Kar rape and murder victim ‘Abhaya’ in Kolkata on October 2, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI
Later in the day, healthcare workers including multiple doctors’ organisations, nurses’ bodies, resident doctors as well as civil society groups, took to the streets in response to a call for a mega rally by the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF).
Thousands of people carried out a peaceful protest march from Kolkata’s College Square to Esplanade on Wednesday afternoon, demanding justice for the victim, and fulfilment of their demands on workplace safety and remedying ‘threat culture’ in State-run hospitals.
A day before, on October 1, resident doctors of West Bengal announced a full cease-work ten days after withdrawing their initial strike, alleging that the State Government had failed to deliver on the directives issued by the Chief Secretary on September 19. The directives, issued to the State Health Secretary, were formulated after two meetings between the government and the WBJDF to ensure a safe, secure, and threat-free working environment in State-run hospitals.
Following the announcement of a fresh strike by junior doctors, the Chief Secretary on Tuesday night issued two memorandums — one, announcing the formation of a State-level grievance redressal committee for healthcare workers, and another, announcing the reconstitution of the controversial patient welfare committees of different State-run medical colleges and hospitals.
Protestors on Wednesday chanted slogans saying that mass protests would be part of the Durga Puja festivities this year. Notably, the mega rally called by the WBJDF on Wednesday coincides with Mahalaya, the auspicious day that marks the devi paksha fortnight, during which Goddess Durga is worshipped in the mortal realm.
“We demand justice for the victim, but today, our march is also for the non-fulfilment of safety measures promised by the State government, based on which we had initially withdrawn our strike,” a protesting junior doctor said at the rally on Wednesday. He added that as soon as the government passes the necessary orders to fulfil the directives they issued, junior doctors would resume work.
Like every year, in the wee hours of Wednesday too, many people took part in Mahalaya’s tarpan custom, wherein they made ritualistic offerings to their forefathers at the banks of the Ganga at the beginning of devi paksha.
However, this year in many places in West Bengal, people made tarpan offerings to the R.G. Kar victim. At Kolkata’s Bagbazar Ghat, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Shamik Bhattacharyya and in Durgapur, BJP MLA Lakshman Ghorui undertook tarpan rituals in memory of the victim.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated several Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata on Wednesday, including Chetla Agrani Club, Hatibagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab, 95 Pally, and Jodhpur Park Sarbojanin.
“People who serve the public do so quietly. And those who don’t do that are the loudest. I prefer fewer words and more working,” the Chief Minister said at an event in Kolkata on Wednesday.
She also spoke about the importance of Durga Puja, in light of many protestors decrying full-fledged festivities this year. “Many are asking why we should indulge in festivities. However, there is a Bengali proverb about being in a festive spirit throughout the year. We know how to do our work and also perform religious duties at the same time,” the Chief Minister said on Wednesday.
Earlier too, the Chief Minister had urged people to ‘return to festivities’ amidst massive Statewide protests demanding justice for the victim, citing considerable losses being incurred by small-scale businesses that rely on Durga Puja.
Meanwhile, Bardhaman Medical College and Hospital is on a boil after relatives of patients allegedly threatened and misbehaved with a female junior doctor following the death of a snakebite victim on Monday night. Doctors alleged that the security personnel did not take any steps to de-escalate the situation, even as patients’ families trespassed into the indoor wards.
Published - October 02, 2024 04:50 pm IST
