Striking Indian doctors defy court over rape protests

KOLKATA: Junior doctors in India’s West Bengal state have vowed to keep up a strike in protest at the rape and murder of a trainee doctor unless their demands are met, defying a Supreme Court deadline for Tuesday.

While demonstrations in other states have been gradually called off after the Supreme Court formed a hospital safety task force, doctors in West Bengal, where the incident happened at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, have continued their protest.

The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front marched in Kolkata on Tuesday, with junior doctors from several medical colleges in the state lending support, to press its demands for justice for the victim and better security at hospitals. The group had said it would “consider” the court’s order on Monday directing protesters resume work by Tuesday evening only if its demands were tackled by the deadline.

“Otherwise, we will understand that the government does not wish to end the deadlock,” the group, which represents about 7,000 physicians in the state, said in a statement. “In that case, we will hold the government responsible for the situation arising across the state.” Officials from West Bengal’s health department said that the protesters’ concerns, including additional CCTV coverage, deployment of female security personnel, adequate lighting, toilets, and resting spaces, were being addressed.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2024