Intellectuals urge Bengal CM to acknowledge just demands of junior doctors, initiate talks

Several eminent personalities on Sunday urged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to take every possible step to acknowledge the demands of junior doctors with due importance to end the impasse. The fasting junior doctors were also requested by eminent personalities to have faith in the initiative of civil society and withdraw their fast-unto-death.

Thirty eminent personalities including film-maker Aparna Sen, actor Riddhi Sen, theatre personality-actor Kaushik Sen, film-maker Srijit Mukherjee, Kamaleswar Mukherjee, social activist Bolan Gangopadhyay and others in an open letter to the CM also urged the junior doctors to withdraw their fast-unto-death.

"Despite acknowledging most of the genuine demands by junior doctors, the uncertainty over the effective implementation of their demands forced them to go for the hunger strike and deteriorated their health conditions," the signatories said.


"In the prevailing situation, we promise to be more vigilant to facilitate a situation where your concerns will be addressed and call upon the state government to acknowledge their concern and urge the agitating medics to have faith in civil society initiative to address the situation," the letter said.

Complimenting junior doctors for "charting a new historic path in democratic protests", the letter asked both sides to suggest if a bridge can be built between both sides by civil society.

The junior doctors have been demanding justice for the RG Kar victim, immediate removal of state Health Secretary N S Nigam, workplace security and other measures.

Their other demands include establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions for CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.

The 'fast-unto-death' from October 5 followed nearly 50 days of 'cease work' in two phases. Their agitation began after an on-duty postgraduate trainee was allegedly raped and murdered inside state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. While one person was arrested by the Kolkata Police the next day, the CBI is now investigating the case following a Calcutta High Court order.