Didi goes to protest site, doctors go to her house, but no talks

KOLKATA: The demand for live-streaming halted Saturday the second attempt at dialogue between Bengal govt and junior doctors protesting the rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College. By the time protesting doctors agreed to accept minutes of the meeting instead, they were reportedly told it was too late.

The prolonged agitation has critically impacted Kolkata's healthcare services. Banerjee had visited the protest site Saturday afternoon in a bid to initiate discussions with the junior doctors, who are demanding justice for the crime that took place Aug 9.

A 30-member delegation of junior doctors reached Banerjee's home in Kalighat at 6.40pm but refused to enter until their demand for live-streaming was met. After waiting for over an hour and a half, Banerjee emerged and pleaded with them for seven minutes to enter. "We will record the entire proceedings but will not be able to release the video now as the case is being heard in the Supreme Court. Have faith in me," she said.

The doctors then demanded that the meeting be videographed and they be given a copy of the recording. Banerjee said she would need SC's nod, and offered to provide minutes of the meeting instead.

"Why did you send the letter (mailed) if you did not want to come? Why are you disrespecting me? I have been waiting for three days," she said.

You did not mention live-streaming in the letter. I will provide you with minutes of the meeting and sign it. I will record the video but cannot provide it today. I promise you, I will take SC's permission and then provide you the video, the Bengal CM said. In a final appeal, she said: "You are younger than me. But I respect agitations. That was why I went to your protest site."

With the junior doctors standing firm, Banerjee went back inside. Forty-five minutes later, health minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and chief secretary Manoj Pant left her home.

The protesting doctors indicated they were willing to proceed with talks if given the minutes of the meeting, but Bhattacharya reportedly told them it was too late.

One of the doctors later expressed disappointment: "We had faith in the CM but this is what we received in return. We are disappointed."

Returning to their protest site, the doctors learned about arrest of former RG Kar college principal Sandip Ghosh and Tallah police station's officer-in-charge under charges linked to the Aug 9 crime. They claimed the talks had been called off after govt received news of CBI action.

"It just proves all our demands are justified and that health department and Kolkata police were involved in the crime and its cover-up. That is the reason we demand resignation of the police commissioner and health department officials," a protesting doctor said.

Earlier, the victim's parents welcomed Banerjee's visit to the protest site. "It's good that the CM went to listen to demands by the medical students. We welcome this. Now, we want the CM to promptly and properly address the five-point demands of the doctors," said the victim's mother.
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