Indian doctors settled abroad, shocked by the R G Kar rape incident of ‘Abhaya’ and its aftermath, is standing in solidarity with medics, junior doctors and people of Bengal, demanding justice.
Many peaceful demonstrations have been organised across the UK and other countries including Poland. On 14 August, on the eve of India’s Independence Day, locals and diaspora were invited to join them in Trinity Church at Hounslow High Street in West London and at Main Square in Krakow, Poland. Cross country demonstrations have also been organised and on 22 August the biggest will be witnessed at Parliament Square in London, next to the Gandhi statue. At the same time, there will be protests in Milton Keynes and Manchester. Messages of solidarity have poured in from Indian doctors settled in the USA, Canada, UK, Europe and UAE, many of whom are alumni of the R G Kar hospital.
An online petition on Change.org to CM Mamta Banerjee has been submitted by NHS doctors, asking for safety, security and basic necessities for junior doctors in Bengal as well as requesting for an impartial and transparent investigation for the rape incident. The petition has been already signed by thousands of people, many of whom are doctors themselves.
Speaking to Asian Voice, Dr Dipti Jain, Geriatrician, and lead for Pan UK Asian Doctors and Chair of Medicos Women Charity said, “We have worked in those spaces fearlessly just 30 years ago the shield of white clinical apron was like a Lakshman Rekha where everyone called us ‘Daktar Didi’.
“How did the attitudes change so drastically that no space is deemed safe for kids and women now? More needs to be done by each and every member of our fraternity We stand in solidarity for our fraternity for sisterhood for our future generations safety in spirit.”
Dr Basak from Cambridge, UK said, “How many nights I have spent in the hospital ‘alone’ while being on call or travelled home ‘alone’ in the deepest, darkest hours of night but never felt unsafe. We need investment into changing the infrastructure to ensure workspace safety!”
Dr Panchali from New Jersey told us, “No more silence, no more fear. We demand safety here for our female physicians. Safety is our right. Find the perpetrators and punish them. Her voice was silenced, but ours will roar for justice!”
Similar sentiments have been shared by Dr Tina Dutta Gupta a GP in London, Dr Gauri Batra Consultant Paediatric and Perinatal Pathologist in Manchester UK, Dr Vinita Shrivastava Developmental paediatric in Dubai/UK, Dr Sudipta Sen, Paediatrician in London, Professor Suparna Dasgupta in Manchester, Dr Chetana Sen, Specialist in Stroke and Neurology in Durham, UK, Dr Kiran Chitale Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist in London, Dr. Salma Khan, Associate Professor from Loma Linda, USA, Dr Sulagna Chakrabarti Consultant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, London, Dr Sarmistha Gupta, Consultant Radiologist in Dubai, Dr Deepu Mirchandani Retired medical oncologist and clinical researcher, Dr Queenie Decosta, Dr Chandrani Biswas ENT specialist Manchester, Hima Hoskote, Anaesthetic in London among many others.
