Kolkata, Oct 17 (IANS): West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front (WBJDF), the umbrella body spearheading the protests against the rape and murder of their colleague at R. G. Kar Hospital, on Thursday launched a mass signature campaign to have in-depth interaction with people.
"Already people in large numbers were spontaneously assembling with us in our different protest programmes. But often the common people were unable to interact directly with us or our colleagues who were on fast-unto-death. So we have decided to initiate a drive for bigger mass involvement in our movement, and that's why we have decided to start the 'mass signature' programmes," said a WBJDF representative.
He also explained that the mass interaction will not be one-sided and the people giving their signatures will also be able to convey to the junior doctors what they feel about the latter's 10-point demands, of which solutions for nine are within the jurisdiction of the state government.
"At the same time, we will also be able to directly interact with people explaining our logic for which eight of our colleagues, seven in Kolkata and one in Siliguri, are on fast-unto-death agitation," the WBJDF representative said.
Political observers feel that this "mass signature" drive is a "masterstroke" on the part of the junior doctors which will pose additional pressure on the state government, which has already felt the pinch of public anger over the gruesome rape and murder and then over the fast-unto-death protests by junior doctors.
The pulse of public anger could be felt on Tuesday evening when common people gathered in thousands at the human-chain protest demonstration christened "Droh-Carnival", organised by representatives of the medical fraternity in solidarity towards the movement.
The 'Droh carnival' was organised at the same time when the state government organised the annual Durga idol immersion event in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at nearby Red Road, in central Kolkata with much pomp and grandeur.
As reported already, the turnout at the 'Droh carnival' was much higher than the state government-sponsored and state government-organised event.