Hunger strike will continue, say Junior Doctors on meeting invitation with CM

A crucial meeting between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and junior doctors, who have been on a hunger strike since October 5, is scheduled for Monday at 5 pm in Nabanna. The Chief Minister informed about the meeting during a phone conversation with the protestors on Saturday, urging them to arrive on time for the discussion.

Following this, a formal invitation was sent via email from the state government, inviting the junior doctors to the meeting. On Sunday, junior doctor Debashis Halder confirmed that they would attend the meeting on time but emphasized that the hunger strike will continue for now. “We will not be calling off the fast,” he said, signaling that the protest will persist until concrete outcomes are reached.

The hunger strike, initiated by junior doctors at Dharmatala, has been ongoing for nearly two weeks, demanding stronger safety measures in hospitals across Bengal. On Saturday, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty visited the protest site, facilitating a phone call between the Chief Minister and the protesting doctors. During the conversation, Mamata Banerjee assured a face-to-face meeting at Nabanna on Monday and emphasized the need for punctuality, stating, “Five means only five. Don't make me wait for 2-3 hours. I have a lot of work to do.”

While 10 representatives from the junior doctors' association have been invited, it was decided that the hunger strikers themselves would not attend the meeting. Debashis Halder explained that the decision was made to avoid any potential criticism. "The hunger strikers want to attend, but their health is in a fragile state. We don’t want people to accuse us of politicizing their presence," Halder said.