Three junior doctors, who led the protest and movement after the rape and murder in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, have claimed that their recent transfers to district hospitals were arbitrary and punitive, following their involvement in protests over the alleged rape and murder of a fellow postgraduate trainee in August 2024.
The protesting doctors, namely Dr. Debashis Haldar, Dr, Aniket Mahato and Dr. Asfaqullah Naiya, were at the forefront of what became Kolkata’s largest protest in 2024, say their new postings to Malda, Purulia, and North Dinajpur, respectively, were made arbitrarily.
They argue that their transfers were not based on merit, vacancy or need, and came despite being previously allotted posts in Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata through the standard counselling process.
The West Bengal government was literally under pressure due to the doctors’ protest and the uninterrupted dharna forced the CM Mamata Banerjee to sit with them in the meeting to discuss their demands.
Months later, after receiving unexpected transfer orders, the trio staged another protest on Tuesday in front of the West Bengal Health Department, demanding a meeting with Principal Health Secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam.
However, Nigam reportedly left without engaging, later advising that grievances be submitted in writing.
Dr. Aniket Mahato clarified, “We are willing to work in any part of the state. We are not opposing the transfers but the arbitrary manner in which it was done.”
It was reported on Monday that Dr. Debashis Haldar, originally told during counselling that he would be posted in Howrah, was instead reassigned to a hospital in Gajole, Malda. However, junior doctors claim that there was no vacancy in that hospital in Gajola.
Later, it was learned that not only Debashis, but also two other leaders of the RG Kar movement, Dr. Aniket Mahato and Dr. Asfakulla Naiya were posted away in a similar manner.
Responding to the controversy, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “How can someone stay in the same place day after day? The jobs of doctors are transferable! Now, if there is an attempt to use the movement as a tool to take advantage of the job, that would be a very bad thing.”