RG Kar Horror: Bengal Doctors' Front to Meet CM Mamata Today, Strike to Continue

Kolkata: The West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front (WEJDF) is all set to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today at Nabanna amid the ongoing hunger strike by the junior medics.

This comes as the fast-unto-death by agitating junior doctors enters the 17th day on Monday, October 21 demanding justice for the deceased 31-year-old post-graduate trainee of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and workplace security.

However, uncertainties prevail over the meeting. The state government has set conditions for the meeting, saying that the doctors must withdraw from the hunger strike to meet Mamata.

On Sunday, Debasish Halder, a junior doctor, who is one the leading faces of the movement said, "We will reach Nabanna tomorrow for the meeting without any preconditions. We will go to the meeting with the Chief Minister but will not withdraw the hunger strike before that. If the resolution is not met tomorrow, the junior doctors will go for further cease work from Tuesday."

"We have continued the fast unto death. After continuing the hunger strike for 17-days, our co-fighters felt hurt by the telephonic conversation of the Chief Minister. However, we will rthe each Nabanna with our delegation and we don't want to follow any precondition for that. We have made it clear in our email reply to Chief Secretary," he added.

Meanwhile, Aniket Mahato, a junior medic who was hospitalised for fast-unto death recently called the condition set by the state government as "unethical." He said, "It is very unethical to withdraw the hunger strike first and call a meeting. We have definite protest programmes to follow. I think the state government will continue the meeting in a positive manner with an open mind and keep an eye towards the humanitarian part of the movement."

This comes as the doctors' umbrella organisation sent a mail reply to the Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant stating that they will stick to their 10-point demands. Earlier, Pant had sent a mail to the WBJDF seeking "withdrawal of the fast-unto-death agitation by a group of junior doctors" as the precondition for the meeting. In his email, Pant also said that the delegation of the junior doctors coming to meet should not be over 10 and not more than 45 minutes would be entertained for the meeting.