People raise slogans at the protest site where young doctors are on hunger strike to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on Saturday (October 12, 2024). Photo credit: PTI

As the fast till death of young doctors entered its ninth day, support grew among the common people near the protest site on Sunday (October 13, 2024), as Durga Puja celebrations in West Bengal began with the start of immersion of idols reached their climax.

Three doctors who started the strike eight days ago were hospitalized, the last being Anustup Mukherjee, a junior doctor at the Calcutta Medical College, who fell ill late Saturday (October 13, 2024). Aniket Mahato and Alok Verma, two other doctors who were on hunger strike, were hospitalized after their health deteriorated.

On October 5, the doctors fasted until death. Doctors and citizens organized fasting days at various places in Calcutta and districts to support the hunger strike. The protesting doctors are demanding, among other things, safety at work.

The Federation of All India Medical Association, an organization representing practicing doctors' associations across India, on Sunday (October 13, 2024) called for a nationwide closure of elective services in hospitals from Monday (October 14, 2024) in solidarity with the protesting doctors. . The umbrella association's strike is likely to have an impact on the services provided by private healthcare facilities.

On Sunday (October 13, 2024), West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant called a meeting of representatives of all medical associations on Monday (October 14, 2024) to discuss the situation. His office sent an email to about twelve medical associations asking them to send two representatives to the meeting on Monday (October 14, 2024).

In another email to the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front, whose representatives are on hunger strike at the Esplanade, the general secretary called on the medical fraternity to cancel the “threat carnival (protest carnival)” planned for October 15. The carnival coincides with the Immersion Carnival organized by the Government of West Bengal, which will witness several major Durga Pujas. The venue is not far from where the doctors are protesting.

The Calcutta High Court had recently said in an order that there will be no protests at the immersion carnival. Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari has also called for a boycott of the event. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar in a press statement expressed his support for the protesting doctors and urged party workers to join the protests in large numbers.

“The BJP in West Bengal fully supports the young doctors’ front in their agitation against the Mamata Banerjee government. The demands of protesting doctors following the gruesome rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital are legitimate and must be met,” Mr Majumdar said in the statement.

In another development, several prominent citizens of the state wrote to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, urging her to take all possible steps to address the demands of young doctors to end the impasse.

In an open letter, around 30 signatories, including filmmakers Aparna Sen, Srijit Mukherjee and Kamaleswar Mukherjee, theater actor Kaushik Sen and social activist Bolan Gangopadhyay, called on the young doctors to call off their strike. The letter described the doctors' demands as genuine and said they were willing to create a situation where their concerns would be addressed.

“In the current situation, we promise to be more vigilant to enable a situation where your concerns are addressed and call on the state government to recognize their concerns and urge the agitating medical professionals to trust in the initiative of civil society, to address the situation,” the letter said.