Kolkata Rape-Murder: The junior doctors in West Bengal ended their 11-day sit-in outside Swasthya Bhavan on Friday and said that a statue of “Abhaya”, the name given to the trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, would be set up in the college.

“We have achieved partial success. There are still many things to attain. The threat culture in various medical colleges needs to be uprooted. We are withdrawing the sit-in. We would resume essential services from Saturday,” Debasish Halder, one of the striking medics told media, on Friday.

A few thousand junior doctors across West Bengal have gone on a strike since the August 9 incident protesting against the killer doctors getting justice by hatching a plot to murder a young woman doctor.
Even a sit-in programme outside Swasthya Bhavan last week saw them defy the Supreme Court deadline to resume work by 5 pm yesterday.

ALSO READ: Night Protest: Kolkata (read more about the Kolkata Rape-Murder: Doctors end sit-in; citizens hold 42-km Relay Torch Rally)

State authorities had already held talks at least twice with doctors last week and transferred the commissioner of Kolkata Police and a few other Indian Police Service and senior health officials. The state issued a set of 10 directives yesterday to ensure safety, security, and efficient functioning of the state healthcare system on Thursday.

He said directives have been issued and the decision to end the sit-in was taken. Doctors, however said that OPD work will continue to cease and gave seven day ultimatum to Authorities to issue the directives.

The next hearing of the RG Kar case in the Supreme Court is on September 27. If, by then, the state doesn’t implement the directives, we may again start a full-fledged cease work. We would also install a statue of Abhaya in RG Kar Hospital, said one of the doctors, Aniket Mahata, to media persons.

Simultaneously, thousands of citizens held a relay torch rally from Hiland Park to Shyambazar-crossing that covered a distance of around 42 km. They were demanding justice for the RG Kar victim.

The relay rally along the EM Bypass saw young and aged citizens, people from all professions, and specially-abled citizens carry flaming torches. If one person felt tired, he was replaced by another so that the torch could be carried. Taking part in this rally were supporters of arch-rival football clubs Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.

“Justice delayed is justice denied. We want speedy trial and justice. Those guilty should be punished and Abhaya should get justice,” said Gita Samui, a housewife who joined the rally.

Similar rallies – ‘Women, Reclaim the Night’ – have been held in the city since August 14 over the RG Kar incident.

I have never seen such an apolitical rally in my life. Salute to the junior doctors who started the movement. I couldn’t Cease myself and hence came down to take part in the rally, said Amal Dastidar, a resident of Ajoynagar, who recently retired as a schoolteacher.