West Bengal: Doctors to hold 'reclaim the night' event on 1st anniversary of RG Kar case

Kolkata, July 8 (IANS) West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front, an umbrella body of different associations of junior doctors in the state, who had been spearheading the movement against R.G. Kar rape and murder tragedy in August last year, will organise a "reclaim the night program", on Tuesday midnight, to observe the first anniversary of the incident.

However, the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front office bearers claimed that they would not be participating in the "March to State Secretary" rally on the same issue on Wednesday, which though apolitical, has been convened by the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.

The parents of the deceased woman doctor have already given their consent to LoP Adhikari about taking part in the "March to State Secretariat" rally.

The body of the woman junior doctor was recovered on the morning of August 9 last year at a seminar room within the premises of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in north Kolkata.

Speaking to the media persons on Tuesday evening, the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front office bearers claimed that the "reclaim the night" programme will start from Tuesday midnight and will continue till 4 a.m. on Wednesday.

"We will be on the streets for the entire night and will also conduct a torch rally," said Debasish Halder, one of the leading faces of the R.G. Kar movement.

On August 9, he added, there will be a convention under the title of "Cry of the Hour" within the premises of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.

"Voices will be raised against the existing threat culture in different educational institutions in West Bengal from that convention," Halder said.

Asked why they would not be participating in the "March to State Secretariat" rally on August 9, Halder said that although the LoP had claimed that the rally would be conducted without any political flag, it seemed that ultimately the rally would take a political shape.

"We contend that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was equally responsible as the state government in the matter. Till now, the CBI has not been able to submit any supplementary charge sheet in the matter. The Leader of the Opposition cannot deny responsibility for such a lackadaisical probe by the central agency," another West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front office bearer said.

--IANS

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