Siliguri Strike Over Trainee Doctor’s Tragic Incident at RG Kar Medical College
A 12-hour general strike was held in Siliguri, West Bengal, on Friday, organized by the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist). The strike was in response to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College.
The strike significantly disrupted normal life in Siliguri, with most shops closed since 6 pm. Dr. Shahriar Alam, a member of SUCI (Communist), stated, “Today this strike has a huge impact. People have spontaneously responded to our call and throughout Siliguri like the Medical College area, people have not taken out their vehicles, and they have not opened the shops. We can say that the impact is very good. We have called this strike to protest against the heinous incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.”
Dr. Alam also mentioned that the strike was to protest against the vandalism at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. He said, “The brutal rape and murder and then two days ago at midnight outsider goons attacked and assaulted the doctors, nurses, protesters and even the patients. They broke everything inside the hospital to clear away the evidence so that the murderers and rapists can be saved. In protest, we have called the strike. This movement has spread throughout the country and abroad. Doctors, nurses and people have expressed their solidarity.”
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) announced a nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine from 6 am on Saturday, August 17 to 6 am Sunday, August 18, in solidarity with the protests.
On August 14, a mob of between 5,000 and 7,000 people invaded RG Kar Hospital, attacking protesting doctors and medical students, and attempting to ransack the premises. The tragic incident of the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor on August 9 has led to nationwide strikes and protests by the medical community.
Doubts Revealed
Siliguri -: Siliguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is known for its tea gardens and is a gateway to the northeastern states of India.
Strike -: A strike is when a group of people stop working or doing their usual activities to protest against something they think is wrong or unfair.
Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) -: The Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) is a political party in India that believes in socialism and communism, which are ideas about how to share resources and wealth more equally among people.
RG Kar Medical College -: RG Kar Medical College is a well-known medical school and hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, where doctors and nurses are trained.
Dr. Shahriar Alam -: Dr. Shahriar Alam is a person who spoke about the impact of the strike and the damage done to the hospital. He might be a doctor or an important figure related to the incident.
Indian Medical Association -: The Indian Medical Association is a group of doctors in India that works to protect the interests of doctors and improve healthcare in the country.
Nationwide withdrawal of services -: A nationwide withdrawal of services means that doctors all over India will stop working for a certain period to show their support for the cause or protest.