KOLKATA: The junior doctors, protesting the rape-and-murder of their colleague at the RG Kar hospital, ended their cease-work but announced an indefinite fast, citing non-fulfilment of their demands by the West Bengal government despite the 24-hour deadline they set.On Friday, the doctors had begun a sit-in at Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala, setting a 24-hour deadline for the state government to fulfil their demands as promised. “We are returning to work and ending our cease-work keeping in mind the good of the citizens and the festive season. The sit-in on the road will, however, continue 24X7. We will start an indefinite hunger strike if the state government fails to meet our demands within 24 hours,” said Debasish Halder, a junior doctor at the forefront of the protest this evening.Another protesting doctor Aniket Mahata said, “We have ended the cease-work, not the agitation. Protests will continue in various forms. We will see it to the end till we get justice. We will continue our sit-in and start a hunger strike after completing our duties.”Soon after their 24-hour deadline ended, a decision to begin the fast unto death was taken.Holding the state government responsible for the decision, a junior doctor said, “We have installed CCTV cameras at the dais where our colleagues will be holding the fast. We will join duty as promised but will not eat anything.”The indefinite fast will be kick-started by six junior doctors. Junior doctors resumed their strike across all medical colleges and hospitals on October 1 after relatives of a patient, who died in Sagore Dutta Hospital, attacked some medics and nurses on September 27.The doctors said the government is yet to keep its promise of strengthening security in state-run hospitals.
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