Demonstration continues at Calcutta Medical College, 5 students go on hunger strike demanding student council elections

Kolkata: Supporting the Junior doctor's protest against the state health department's decision to postpone students' union elections, five UG medical students went on hunger strike at Calcutta Medical College in Kolkata.

Medical dialogues team had recently reported about the demonstration staged by the junior doctors demanding student's union election.

Not only was the service got affected, but the faculty members including the Principal of the institute also had to remain confined inside their chambers for around 30 hours.

Although the services became normalised on Wednesday, the patient's services are likely to be affected again since the students decided to initiate a hunger strike from 10 am on Thursday.

Also read- Chaos At Calcutta Medical College Over Students Union Election, Faculties Gheraoed For More Than 30 Hours

Just as they had pledged to begin the hunger strike on Thursday, nearly five UG students protested showing their support for the demonstration and have declared that until the date for the student council election is announced, the hunger strike will go on.

While the hospital authorities claimed that the services were affected due to the strike which started on Monday, yet again the authorities have alleged that the services were hit on Thursday due to the hunger strike carried out by the junior doctors. The authorities informed that the students kept doctors and department heads confined and did not allow them to visit their departments.

A doctor at Rogi Kalyan Samiti at the medical college told The Indian express "It is not possible to hold the elections immediately. The election will definitely be held, but it won't be held immediately."

The matter related to the protest was explained in detail in a Facebook post on December 6 shared by the junior doctors which have been reported by the Medical dialogues team. It mentioned the constant threats, false claims about the services being hit and many more.

"We have decided through our general body meeting that the college authority, which cannot fulfill its promise of conducting elections on December 22 because of the invisible orders of the 'higher authorities', which cannot take any step against the physical abuse, intimidation and death threats upon the students by a section of teachers, the authority that cannot inform that under whose orders the central lab remained closed for four hours even though it has nothing to do with this movement, such an authoity does not want to solve the problem through any discussions," said the Facebook post.

In response to the commencement of the date of the election, Principal Indranil Biswas told reporters, "There are two reasons why the election cannot be held on December 22. One, the poll expenses will be borne by the state government. I have been told that at a time when the state is taking austerity measures, the expense for the student union election may not be allowed. Secondly, the law and order arrangements are also important."

Also read- IMA Calls Haryana Bond Policy "Unjust", Plans To Start Hunger Strike To Support Protesting Medicos