PMPS continues hunger strike

CHANDIGARH, MAY 30: The Medical Practitioners Association, Punjab, today continued with its indefinite hunger strike. The strike which entered sixth day today, is being observed to protest the lathi-charge, to which the police resorted while the medical practitioners were demonstrating for their demands on May 24.

The medical practitioners were staging a protest demonstration at the Chandigarh Housing Board roundabout on the May 24, when they were tear-gassed and lathi-charged by the police to prevent them from proceeding towards the secretariat where they wanted to present their charter of demands.

The demonstrators are protesting the raids on the workplaces of unregistered medical practitioners all over Punjab following a High Court order, Association president Surjit Singh said. He said following the order, the practitioners in small villages and towns have been forced out of business.

The members are observing the chain-hunger strike in their respective districts, according to R.K. Bali, state general secretary of the Association. Surjit Singh, state president of the Association, said that they would continue to observe the hunger strike till their demands are met with.