Differences surfaced at the crucial meeting between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and junior doctors on Monday over ending the impasse sparked by protests over the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata in August.
The two issues on which the difference surfaced at the meeting, which was telecast live, were regarding the removal of state Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam and the recent suspension of 47 doctors of R.G. Kar who were accused of creating an air of “threat culture” within the medical college & hospital premises.
Till the time the report was filed, the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF), the umbrella body spearheading the movement, was yet to announce whether the fast-unto-death demonstration by a group of junior doctors would be withdrawn or not.
Sometime after the meeting started at around 5 p.m. on Monday, the junior doctors’ delegation raised the issue of the removal of the Health Secretary and said that they had some documents about the allegations of irregularities against Nigam.
“You wanted some documents. We have got some papers on this count. That is why we are demanding his removal,” said a junior doctors’ representative at the meeting.
The Chief Minister countered and claimed that just on the basis of allegations any individual cannot be defined as “accused”.
However, Sandipta Chakraborty, the representative in the delegation from N.R.S. Medical College & Hospital, countered the Chief Minister on the definition of the term “accused”.
“Anyone against whom there are complaints of irregularities can be grammatically termed as ‘accused’. That same person can be termed as ‘guilty’ if his guilt is proved,” Chakraborty argued.
The next point of argument surfaced when the Chief Minister questioned how the R.G Kar authorities unilaterally suspended 47 doctors accused of “threat culture” without the concurrence of the state Health Department.
“How could the Principal of R.G. Kar suspend 47 doctors unilaterally? Did he feel the need to inform the state government of the matter? Is this also not a kind of ‘threat culture’? No one should be suspended without proper investigation. No one should act according to his or her whims,” the Chief Minister said.
Aniket Mahato, a face of the movement who represented R.G, Kar in the delegation immediately countered the Chief Minister’s statements.
“The disciplinary committee suspended these doctors after a proper and thorough investigation. They were not suspended out of personal vendetta. Those who were suspended were notorious criminals,” Mahato said.
Another leading face of the agitation, Kinjal Nanda, who is also from R.G. Kar, said that during the term of the previous and controversial Principal Sandip Ghosh, such “threat culture” was introduced.
“We had to wait for at least two hours outside his room to get his appointment. Will we stand by criminals and rapists?” he asked.
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