Doctors Reply To Mamata Banerjee’s “Final” Talks Invite With 3 Options

Junior doctors protesting in Kolkata over the rape-murder of a 31-year-old doctor have given an affirmative response to the Mamata Banerjee government’s “fifth and final” invitation for talks. A group is on way to her Kalighat residence — where the last round of talks had collapsed before they even took place. The factor over which it collapsed videography of the meeting, however, has become more prominent.

In their response, the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front, pointed to the CBI’s fresh arrests in an evidence tampering case and said these developments increase the significance of transparency.

Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant’s email to the doctors earlier this day invited them for talks at 5 pm at the Chief Minister’s residence in south Kolkata’s Kalighat. The junior doctors said they were “more than willing” to join the meeting, but would have preferred an “official and administrative place” as the venue.

The junior doctors pointed to the fresh charge of evidence tampering against Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the incident took place. The officer-in-charge of Tala police station, Abhijit Mondal, has been arrested in this connection too.

“These two new developments increase the significance of transparency of the meeting even more than before. We would like to emphasise on 1) Videography of the meeting by a separate videographer by both the parties,” the doctors said, reiterating their demand for videography of the meeting. Earlier, meetings between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the junior doctors have fallen through over their demand for live-streaming and videography. The state government has said this cannot be allowed because the matter is sub-judice.

In their fresh email, the doctors have given alternatives to the state government. They have said that if videography by separate videographers from both sides is not possible, the state government must agree to give the junior doctors the video of the proceedings right after the meeting. The state government had earlier said they would provide the video only after the Supreme Court’s permission.

Adding another option in their new email, the doctors said minutes of the meeting with full transcripts be recorded by both parties and handed over at the end of the meeting after all present sign them. Earlier, the state government had agreed to provide a signed copy of the minutes of the meeting. The doctors have clarified that they would bring their representatives to take down the minutes.

“Please consider the above points for the meeting for our five point demands. If you are in agreement from your side kindly respond to this mail at the earliest. We are eagerly waiting for a positive response from your side,” the doctors’ body has said.

Earlier today, Chief Secretary Pant said in an email to the doctors that this is the “fifth and final time” the state government is reaching out to them for a meeting with the Chief Minister. “We trust that good sense will prevail, and as mutually agreed and as per your statement to the media day before- there will be no live streaming or videography of the meeting, given that the matter is sub judice in the highest court of the country. Instead, the minutes of the meeting will be recorded and signed by both parties,” the Chief Secretary said.

The junior doctors protesting over the August 9 incident have several demands, including the removal of some top state officials. The Supreme Court had earlier asked them to join work by September 10, but they have stressed that they will not join duty till their demands are fulfilled.   

Earlier meetings planned between the Chief Minister and the junior doctors led to dramatic scenes. On September 12, the doctors went to the state secretariat Nabanna to meet Ms Banerjee, but refused to join the meeting after they were told the proceedings could not be live-streamed. Visuals of Ms Banerjee waiting for the junior doctors went viral and she said she had waited for two hours.

Another meeting was planned on Saturday after the Chief Minister’s surprise visit to the doctors’ protest site at the state health secretariat. The junior doctors reached her residence at 6.45 pm. Again, the doctors’ demand for live-streaming and officials’ refusal proved to be the roadblock. The medicos waited outside the Chief Minister’s home in the rain. They demanded that they be allowed to videograph the meeting. The state government refused this and said it would record the meeting and the recording would be provided to the doctors later because the matter is sub-judice.

Ms Banerjee came out and invited the doctors inside. “You can trust me, I won’t mislead you. Even if you do not attend the meeting, at least have a cup of tea.” She also said the doctors are “insulting” her. The doctors stressed that they wanted the recording. She then said I “cannot accept all your demands”. Later that night, the doctors decided to join the meeting but state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and chief secretary Manoj Pant told them it was too late.