"Insulting To Us": Called For Talks, Bengal Doctors' Strong Rebuff

The Bengal government has written to the junior doctors protesting against the rape-murder of a colleague, asking them to participate in  a discussion. The email came as the doctors marched to the health secretariat today and is camping out there, seeking immediate resignation of several senior officials and the city police chief. In the e-mail to the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front, the government has asked the doctors to come for a discussion and end the month-long standoff.  

But the doctors have refused, saying the e-mail has come from the health secretary, one of the people whose resignation they had been seeking.

"The email has come from the health secretary and this is insulting for us," the doctors said.

"We think it is insulting to call for a small delegation team. We are near the Swastha Bhavan. What was the need to email us? He could have come to meet us... We have five demands and we want these demands to be met," they said.

Earlier today, when the doctors had reached the health secretariat, they were invited to send a deputation for talks. But they had declined, saying their demands should be met immediately.

Post 5 pm, they started a sit down protest, saying they will not move till their demands are met.

Earlier today, when the doctors had reached the health secretariat, they were invited to send a deputation for talks. But they had declined, saying their demands should be met immediately.

In response to the Supreme Court's order that they return to work by 5 pm today, the doctors had escalated the protest, giving the government a 5 pm deadline to ensure that their list of demands be met and then marching to the health secretariat.

The demands included the resignation of a string of people, starting with city police chief Vineet Goyal, the state Health Secretary, Director of Health Education, and Director of Health Services. After 5 pm, they started an indefinite sit-down protest outside the secretariat.

The Supreme Court had said that if the doctors did not return to wrk by 5 pm today, it would give the state clearance for action. But Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that she would prefer to settle the impasse through dialogue and not action against the doctors.

The state has emphasised the need for doctors to rejoin duty, claiming that more than 20 people have died over the last month for want of timely treatment. The doctors have rubbished the  allegations.