Actors, social workers and doctors were among those who took part at a convention called by the junior doctors at Medical College Kolkata on Monday.
The junior doctors demanded justice for the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital who was raped and murdered on August 9.
The speakers questioned how someone could be raped and murdered inside a government institution and why the government would not accept its responsibility. The junior doctors said their cease-work would continue.
“Keep asking the government why this happened. Keep on asking. If this happens in Calcutta, who knows what is happening in the remote areas? I am sure this is happening there too, but they are not being able to say anything because of a sense of shame,” said actor Jeetu Kamal.
Actor Sohini Sarkar told the audience that the ruling party had already started saying that people should not demand justice from them.
“They are saying ask the CBI. Do not demand justice from us,” she said. “If we do not come out on the streets now, a day will come when we might face the plight of Tilottoma,” she added.
Satabdi Das, one of the organisers of the “Reclaim the Night” protests held on the eve of Independence Day, spoke at the mass convention.
Das demanded safer public spaces for women and other marginalised sections like those from the transgender and queer communities.
“I do not demand capital punishment. I am more concerned about the regularity of the punishment than its severity. The guilty should be given punishment fast. It will instil confidence in people,” she said.
The West Bengal Junior Doctor’s Front organised the mass convention to rally greater support for the movement.
The organisers said they were looking for advice from their seniors and others on how to take ahead their fight.
“We want greater involvement of common people in this fight for justice. We are doctors. We cannot continue with the cease-work forever, but the fight for justice must go on. More people should get involved,” a junior doctor said.
