Doctor
Protests and strikes erupted across India on Friday following the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, leading to clashes between protesters and police, as well as disruptions in medical services across the country.
In Kolkata, tensions flared as a scuffle broke out between the Kolkata Police and members of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) [SUCI (C)]. The confrontation occurred during a 12-hour bandh called by the party in West Bengal to protest the brutal crime. The clash took place at Hazra, where SUCI (C) activists gathered in large numbers. Police detained several protesters and transported them to Lalbazar Police Station.
Simultaneously, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers engaged in a heated confrontation with Kolkata Police outside the CGO Complex. The BJP members were demanding swift justice for the murdered doctor. Several BJP protesters were detained by the police during the demonstration.
The shocking incident has also ignited protests among the medical community nationwide. In Rajasthan, medical services were severely disrupted as resident doctors at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College in Jaipur initiated a complete shutdown. The shutdown affected Outpatient Departments (OPD), Intensive Care Units (ICU), and emergency services, with most routine operations being postponed. Doctors have vowed to continue the shutdown until justice is served.
In Patna, doctors at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (IGIMS) also staged protests, refusing to provide services until the perpetrator is apprehended. Emergency facilities at the hospital were closed, and doctors announced plans to march in protest across the country.
At AIIMS Delhi, doctors gathered to demand the immediate implementation of a Central Protection Act for healthcare workers. “We will not step back or sit quietly until we receive a written assurance that action will be taken,” said Dr. Kumar Kartikay, a representative of the protesting doctors. The demonstration is expected to draw thousands of participants from medical colleges across Delhi.
In Andhra Pradesh, junior doctors and medical students at AIIMS Mangalagiri expressed their outrage through a protest that included a street play highlighting the gravity of the crime.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police have arrested 19 individuals in connection with the vandalism and violence that erupted at RG Kar Medical College during protests earlier this week. Those arrested have been remanded to police custody until August 22. The violence, which saw parts of the hospital’s emergency ward, nursing station, and outpatient department vandalized, left several people injured, including police officers.
As the protests continue to gain momentum, the medical community and citizens alike are demanding swift justice and greater protection for healthcare workers across the country.
