JUNIOR DOCTORS in West Bengal on Friday called off their “total cease work” and issued an ultimatum to the state government that their demands should be met within 24 hours. Otherwise, they warned of launching an “indefinite hunger strike”. During a press conference, junior doctors expressed disappointment with the TMC government in the state over the “progress” in addressing their concerns. In a symbolic gesture, they displayed a clock during their press conference. The doctors, who had briefly lifted their strike earlier in the week, reiterated their “commitment to the movement until justice is served.” “We are calling off our total cease work. But we will continue our sit-in protest. We will give the state administration 24 hours to fulfill our demands or else we will start a hunger strike,” said Debasish Halder, a representative of the protesting doctors. Aniket Mahato, a junior doctor and another prominent figure in the protest, said, “I want to tell the CBI to consider that we are all fighting for justice. If the strike was becoming a hindrance, we have lifted the strike but calling off a strike does not mean that the movement is over.” The junior doctors emphasised that they did not withdraw the strike “under any pressure.” “We were forced to go on strike. But now we are calling it off, keeping in mind the service to the common people,” Mahato added. He emphasised that the recent arrest of Ashis Pandey, a TMC youth leader, in connection with the financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata, was a “direct result of our sustained pressure.” “It (Pandey's arrest) would not have happened if we had lifted the agitation midway,” he said. “Our agitation is not over,” said Mahato. “If necessary, we will take our fight to Delhi,” he added. The junior doctors also expressed disappointment over the police's handling of the case and their protests, alleging that their colleagues were “mistreated” during a demonstration on Friday in Dharmatala, Kolkata. They claimed that they were peacefully protesting when a few among them were “roughed up” by the police. “We have provided evidence to the police, but they seem unwilling to act,” claimed a junior doctor. The police did not immediately respond to the allegations. In a reference to the alleged incident, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya claimed that the police “brutally assaulted” the protesting doctors. “The situation in West Bengal is deeply troubling. The PGT doctors were kicked around by men, who claimed to be police, but were not in uniform…Mamata Banerjee’s high-handedness will be held to account for any unfortunate incident that occurs during Durga Puja,” he added. While the state government, during the previous hearing in the Supreme Court, said 6,178 CCTVs were to be installed and 26 per cent of the work in this regard had been completed, junior doctors claimed that just six per cent of this work was done till date. The installation of CCTVs is among the junior doctors' demands. The junior doctors' movement, which began 58 days ago, has been marked by several protests and demonstrations demanding justice. On Friday, they staged a march from SSKM Hospital, highlighting their 10-point demand list. Earlier, the doctors had gone on a complete ‘cease work’ for 42 days following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. They ended their strike on September 21 after discussions with state officials, resuming essential services under directives aimed at ensuring safety and efficient healthcare. On September 30, they again launched a 'cease work' protest.
