West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accepted three of the five demands put forward by protesting junior doctors following the brutal rape-murder of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College. This development comes after a month-long impasse that gripped the state’s healthcare system and garnered nationwide attention.
In a meeting that lasted for over two hours, Mamata Banerjee agreed to remove two top officials of the health department and the Chief of Kolkata Police.
Additionally, the police chief of the city’s north zone, where the tragic incident took place, will also be removed. However, despite this breakthrough, the protesting doctors have declared that the ceasework will continue until formal orders are issued in the morning.
Banerjee expressed optimism following the meeting: “I think the meeting was positive. I am sure they think so too. Or why else would we sign the minutes of the meeting and they would sign it too?” She added that they had accepted “99 percent” of the doctors’ demands because they are regarded as “younger brothers.”
Protesters’ Conditions for Ending the Ceasework
Despite this perceived victory, the junior doctors remain cautious. “We have only received their verbal assurance,” said a representative of the Junior Doctors’ Forum. The protesting doctors are set on continuing their agitation until they receive a formal response to their demands. One representative further stated that the other goal — dismantling the nexus of corruption at the hospital — remains a priority: “We will also continue the agitation for the removal of the health secretary.”
The State’s Promises
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced Rs 100 crore investment for upgrading hospital infrastructure. Additionally, she agreed to transfer the Director of Medical Education and the Director of Health Services to new posts, noting that they have not been dishonored in the process. “We are not dishonoring them. They have not been in the post for long and have done nothing wrong. But since the students said they do not have trust in them, we have accepted,” Banerjee clarified.
The Chief Minister also responded to the demand for the removal of the city police chief, Vineet Goyal, whose role came under scrutiny due to allegations of evidence tampering related to the case. While she had earlier indicated that Goyal would remain in his post at least through the Durga Puja festival, recent events prompted his removal.
The Fifth and Final Attempt at Dialogue
This “fifth and final invitation for talks,” as described by the state government, took place at Banerjee’s Kalighat residence. Approximately 30 doctors attended the meeting, which started two hours later than scheduled, at 7 pm. The doctors had come prepared, bringing stenographers to record the minutes of the meeting. The document was eventually signed by 40 doctors.
The junior doctors have declared the state’s acceptance of their demands a “big victory” for their 38-day-long protest. However, they assert that the protest will continue until the government fulfills its promises in writing. They emphasized the need for formal orders before resuming patient care. “We have only received their verbal assurance,” said a representative.
Background: A Crime That Shocked the Nation
The tragedy at the heart of this protest is the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at RG Kar Medical College on August 9. Her partially clothed body was discovered in the hospital’s seminar room, leading to a nationwide outcry. The prime suspect, Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police stationed at the hospital, has been arrested. However, the initial investigation raised numerous questions, including contradictory explanations provided to the victim’s parents, claims of suicide, and allegations of police interference in the cremation process.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has since taken charge of the case, arresting the hospital’s former Principal, Sandip Ghosh, and a senior police officer in connection with the corruption case and for alleged evidence tampering. The incident has led to widespread protests across India, as doctors and the general public voiced their outrage over the handling of the case.
