It was David versus Goliath when a group of junior doctors squared off against one of the country’s smartest politicians.
On the one side: young men and women whose colleagues had been on hunger strike for nearly three weeks. On the other: the veteran, the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, confronting perhaps the biggest crisis of her tenure.
Though the doctors eventually called off their hunger strike – which they were conducting to push for certain demands in the aftermath of the rape and murder of a young doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital – their meeting with Banerjee ended in what is largely being seen as a disappointing outcome.
Yet, the doctors held their own at the meeting, and sparks flew.
“Would you like to have some tea?” asked the chief minister.
“No ma’am. Our friends have been on hunger strike for the past 17 days. We don’t want tea,” a woman doctor responded sharply. This set the tone for the next two hours.
At one point, Aniket Mahato, a third-year resident doctor of R.G. Kar and prominent face of the movement who had just been released from the hospital after fasting-related complications, confronted Banerjee directly, “Ma’am, should we take the side of a rapist or a criminal?”
A video screengrab showing the doctors at the meeting with CM Banerjee.
A surprising move
Banerjee’s move to give in to the live-streaming demand of the doctors, seasoned politician that she is, had surprised many. Joined by the state’s top bureaucrats, she agreed to this meeting despite earlier government objections on legal grounds. Why she had this sudden change of heart, given that the matter was still sub judice, remains unclear.
However, Banerjee held firm on key issues. She backed Narayan Swarup Nigam, the state’s principal secretary of health, dismissing the doctors’ demand for his removal.
“An accused cannot be labeled as such until it is proven,” she said, adding “I’m speaking from a legal standpoint.”
Banerjee, who is known for openly rebuking senior officials in live-streamed meetings, was perhaps not prepared for the sharp rebuttal from protesting doctor Manisha Ghosh at this point.
“If there are allegations, we call someone an accused. If the allegations are proven, we call them guilty. That’s both grammatically and legally correct,” Ghosh retorted.
Also read: A Non-Political Movement Is Uncharted Territory for Mamata Banerjee
Threat culture
Banerjee’s reprimand of medical college principals for suspending students accused of ‘threat culture’ sparked a heated exchange. She also accused the principals of playing politics and expressed dissatisfaction with their recent efforts to clean up the environment in medical colleges.
“I don’t want anyone’s career to suffer. Principals should inform us when they receive allegations. We will do the investigation,” she insisted. However, as per the National Medical Commission, medical colleges are authorised to take strict action against those found guilty of ragging or abetting ragging.
When she specifically criticised Manas Banerjee, the newly appointed principal of R.G. Kar Medical College, for suspending 47 students without informing the government, she was met with fierce opposition from junior doctors. Manas Banerjee’s predecessor Sandip Ghosh is now in CBI custody and often thought of as having been close to Banerjee.
CM Banerjee said, “You have suspended 47 students without informing us. Isn’t this part of a threat culture?”
The question met with immediate opposition from the junior doctors. Kinjal Nanda, a resident doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College and a familiar face of the protests, said, “The earlier principal kept us waiting for hours. Those accused of ‘threat culture’ stopped us from meeting him. We informed the government many times, but nothing happened.”
Aniket Mahato countered her, “Each of the suspended ones are notorious criminals. Sir [Manas Banerjee] took measures after the investigation. If required, you investigate and see.”
Taken aback, Banerjee retorted, “You cannot interfere in the administration.”
Throughout the meeting, the chief minister, not used to counter-arguments in her meetings with state officials, faced multiple interjections and interruptions from junior doctors.
Bristling comments, evasion tactics
Embarrassing the government even further, Mahato said, “Sexual harassment, exploitation, and threats were rampant on campus. Students felt unsafe and unsupported.”
At another point when Banerjee was talking about her government’s achievements, Mahat was heard saying, “Can only speak when she allows us to speak!”
The conversation took an awkward turn when Banerjee urged the men to protect their woman colleagues. “You also have a responsibility, to take care of your sisters. Sisters have the responsibility of taking care of their brothers,” she said, raising eyeballs in the room.
The chief minister faced and evaded another critical question when a doctor from the North Bengal Medical College asked how a principal could fairly represent himself in a committee investigating the complaints against him. Banerjee offered a vague response, “I want all of you to be well and healthy.”
The meeting concluded on a similarly evasive note. While the government agreed to certain demands, such as the implementation of a central referral system, key issues like the removal of the health secretary were dismissed. Banerjee also assured the doctors that student elections at medical colleges would be held by March 2025 – a timeline which gives her administration ample time to manage the fallout.
A strike ends
Two hours after the meeting, the doctors emerged, visibly frustrated by what felt like a masterclass in political manoeuvring.
They joined their colleagues on the ongoing fast-unto-death hunger strike at Dharmatala in the heart of Kolkata. The doctors announced their decision to call off their hunger-strike at the request of the parents of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered in August.
“The state government’s body language was not encouraging,” acknowledged Debasis Halder, a representative of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF).
“We are suspending our ‘fast-unto-death’ protest and the planned total shutdown of the health sector on Tuesday. However, this decision is not a result of today’s meeting. We are doing this because of the heartfelt requests from the public and the parents [of the victim].”