Hunger Strike

RG Kar case: Protest continues, doctors' fast-unto-death enters 15th day

The fast-unto-death by agitating junior doctors in West Bengal entered the 15th day on Saturday over demands for justice for the deceased post-graduate trainee of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and workplace security. So far, six fasting doctors have been hospitalised after their health condition deteriorated. Eight doctors are currently on indefinite fast while demanding that the state government act constructively by October 21 to end the impasse. One of the medics said that they would be forced to resort to strike across the state on October 22 if their demands are not met by Monday. "We want the chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) to sit for a discussion and implement all our demands", a junior doctor said. Several theatre personalities also held a symbolic hunger strike on Saturday to express solidarity with the protesting doctors. The agitating doctors planned to hold a mega rally on Sunday to press for their demands, which include the removal of Health Secretary N S Niga

RG Kar case: All doctors to go on strike in WB on Oct 22 if demands not met

Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal, who have been seeking justice for their deceased colleague at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Friday threatened to hold a strike by all medics in the state on October 22 if their demands are not met. Stating that they are in talks with their colleagues in other states, the medics said there may also be a country-wide strike by doctors on Tuesday over the issue. The junior medics said that they, along with senior doctors, were giving a deadline to the state government till October 21 to fulfil their demands. "We want the chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) to sit for a discussion and implement all our demands," Debasish Halder, one of the agitating junior doctors, told reporters. "Unless this is done, all the junior and senior doctors of both government and private healthcare facilities will be forced to go on strike on Tuesday," he said after a meeting between the junior doctors and their seniors here. Claiming that the doctors were n

RG Kar case: Resident doctors in Delhi to protest outside Bengal Bhawan

Resident doctors from major hospitals in Delhi will hold a protest outside the Bengal Bhawan in the national capital on Wednesday evening to demand justice for the trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. The protest was announced was the Joint Delhi Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) Action Committee late Tuesday night. Resident doctors from AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, RML Hospital, GTB Hospital, Maulana Azad Medical College, Lady Hardinge Medical College and others will participate in the protest which will be held at 6 pm on Wednesday, a statement said. The protest is part of a wider movement that began on August 12 with a pan-India strike against the alleged rape and murder of the trainee doctor and lasted until August 22. It was temporarily suspended after assurances from the Supreme Court that justice would be expedited, the statement said. However, the investigation has "stalled" with no action taken report (ATR) shared ..

IMA calls for nationwide fast in support of Bengal doctors' hunger strike

On Monday, the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) of AIIMS, New Delhi, wrote an 'urgent' letter to the President of India, requesting immediate intervention in the ongoing hunger strike by doctors in

RG Kar case: Junior doctors' indefinite hunger strike enters 11th day

The indefinite hunger strike of junior doctors of West Bengal to press for their demands in the wake of the RG Kar Hospital incident entered the 11th day on Tuesday, as a meeting between medics and the state government failed to resolve the deadlock. Two more doctors participating in the 'fast-unto-death' in Esplanade area of Kolkata fell ill, further fueling the ongoing unrest sparked by the rape and murder of their colleague at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. A crucial meeting between representatives from 12 doctors' associations and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant held at Swasthya Bhavan on Monday concluded without any resolution. The doctors' hunger strike began on October 5, following nearly 50 days of 'cease work' in two phases, after the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. As of Tuesday, seven junior doctors continued their hunger strike, with several requiring immediate medical attention. Pulastha Acharya,

Junior doctors' hunger strike enters 10th day, another medic hospitalised

The fast-unto-death' by junior doctors in West Bengal to press for their demands in the wake of the RG Kar hospital incident entered the 10th day on Monday, even as another medic was admitted to hospital after his health condition deteriorated, officials said. Pulastha Acharya of the NRS Medical College and Hospital was taken to hospital on Sunday night after he complained of severe stomach pain, they said. Three of the junior medics who were on hunger strike in Kolkata and Siliguri city in the northern part of the state were earlier hospitalised in view of their health condition. "Pulastha is in the CCU and his parameters have deteriorated. We have formed a medical board to treat him," a senior doctor of the NRS Medical College and Hospital told PTI. Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant had on Sunday written to the Joint Platform of Doctors (JPD), urging them to call off their proposed demonstration on October 15, stating that the stir was coinciding with the state government's .

RG Kar case: Two more doctors join hunger strike as it completes first week

Two more junior doctors have joined six of their colleagues who have been on a fast-unto-death here for the past seven days, demanding justice for the murdered woman medic at RG Kar Hospital, along with other crucial issues. Parichoy Panda from Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan and Alolika Ghorui from Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital joined the protest on Saturday, taking the total number of medics on indefinite fast across the state to 10, including the two at North Bengal Medical College in Siliguri. Meanwhile, the condition of the fasting doctors have worsened, with fellow medics saying their health parameters are "declining." They have been on hunger strike since October 5. Dr. Debasish Halder, one of the protesting doctors, said, "They are very weak and all their parameters are declining. The presence of creatinine in their urine has increased. Seven days of fasting is definitely taking a toll on their health, but it hasn't weakened their resolve for ...

RG Kar horror: Doc's hunger strike reaches Day 6, one in critical condition

Junior doctors agitating over the rape and murder of their colleague at the RG Kar hospital continued their fast unto death for the sixth day on Friday, even as the condition of one of the medics on hunger strike, who was hospitalised, remained "critical", health officials said. Aniket Mahato was admitted to the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Thursday night after his health condition deteriorated due to continuous fasting since Sunday. A five-member medical board was constituted to oversee the treatment of Mahato, the health officials said. "He was brought to the hospital in an unconscious condition. His condition is critical. He has been provided with oxygen and other necessary treatment for a patient who has not consumed water for the past few days. His condition is quite unstable," Dr (Prof) Soma Mukhopadhyay, CCU in charge of the hospital, told PTI. "We hope that he will improve in the next few days. We have formed a five-member team," she said. Meanwhile, th

Wangchuk on hunger strike, invites people to extend support by fasting

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Wednesday evening said those who want to support their ongoing hunger strike at Delhi's Ladakh Bhawan can do so by observing a day-long fast on October 13. In a post shared on Instagram, Wangchuk said many people have come to meet them, and many have asked how they can extend support for Ladakh's demands. "Many of you have asked what you can do to support Ladakh. We don't want to stage any demonstration, those of you who want to support us can keep fast for a day on Sunday..." Wangchuk said. "If you want you can take out a padyatra in your city on Sunday as well. Those in Delhi can gather outside Ladakh Bhawan on Sunday, but those who comes should observe silence. There should be no sloganeering," he said. Wednesday was the fourth day of an indefinite hunger strike by Wangchuk and others from Ladakh, which started on Sunday afternoon. The climate activist said several people have come to meet them, including politicians. On Wednesday, a 91-years

RG Kar case: Medics association announces nationwide hunger strike on Oct 9

In a move to support the ongoing protest against the alleged rape and murder of a junior doctor in West Bengal, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) on Monday announced a nationwide hunger strike. The doctors' association held a meeting on Monday and announced that the hunger strike will begin on Wednesday, which will be two months from the day the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College in West Bengal happened on August 9. "We have been in close contact with the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front and are united in our stance," said Suvrankar Datta, President of FAIMA. "After extensive deliberation, we have decided to organise a nationwide hunger strike in solidarity with our colleagues in West Bengal, Datta said. Datta also emphasised that the hunger strike is intended to amplify the voices of the junior doctors who have been on strike for weeks, advocating for better working conditions, enhanced safety protocols, and other essentia

RG Kar case: Jr doctors continue hunger strike; demand justice, safety

Agitating junior doctors demanding justice for the deceased woman medic of the Kar Medical College and Hospital and workplace safety continued their hunger strike until death on Sunday in the central part of the city's Dharmatala area. Several senior doctors, who have been at the protest site since Saturday night, are also planning to join their junior counterparts in the hunger strike. "The support of these people gives us the courage, the enthusiasm to continue our protest against the gruesome murder of our sister. We are happy to see that people have not forgotten that justice is yet not given and attacks on doctors are still on and the state government has no serious note of our demands," Debasish Halder, one of the agitating doctors, told PTI. The junior medics started their hunger strike untill death on Saturday night after the state government missed the 24-hour deadline of fulfilling their demands by 8.30 pm on Saturday. They had on Friday begun a sit-in demonstration at th

JNU Students Union ends 17-day hunger strike, university agrees to demands

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students Union (JNUSU) ends hunger strike amid health concerns for protestors and the administration agreeing to meet some key demands

JNU agrees to hold caste census in campus, revert to in-house entrance exam

The ongoing stalemate between the JNU administration and its students' union, which has been staging a hunger strike for the past 15 days over various unresolved issues, may soon come to an end as the two sides have reached a consensus on several demands. The university has agreed to fulfill at least six of the 12 major demands of the protesting students' union. These include reinstating the old in-house entrance exam system -- JNU Entrance Exam (JNUEE) -- for admissions, conducting a caste census of the campus, increasing scholarship amounts, and proposing a reduction in the weightage given to the viva for admissions. Despite these developments, the union has continued its protest, with President Dhananjay and Councillor Nitish Kumar remaining on hunger strike, which entered its 16th day on Monday. They are demanding written confirmation of the agreed-upon demands. The hunger strike started on August 11. "Dhananjay has lost more than 5 kg and has a ketone level of 4+, which indica

Hunger strike at JNU enters 6th day, health of students deteriorate: JNUSU

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) has been staging an indefinite hunger strike, which entered its sixth day on Saturday with the health of several protestors deteriorating, according to the students body. The students have been protesting on the campus against purported unresponsiveness of the JNU administration over their charter of demands since August 11. When contacted, JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit said the varsity does not have a notified students union and that some of the demands raised by the protesting students cannot be accepted due to a funding crunch, while others require the court's intervention and are beyond her authority. "There is no officially notified students union in the JNU currently. So, they should first go and get themselves notified by the High Court (as the matter of the 2019 JNUSU results is sub judice)," Pandit told PTI. "Secondly, the demands that they have raised are practically impossible to accept. They want me to ..

Activist Sonam Wangchuk ends 21-day-long hunger strike for Ladakh statehood

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Tuesday evening ended his 21-day-long hunger strike in support of the demand for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Earlier in the day, he made a fresh appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfil the promises made to the people of the Union Territory and also called upon people to use their franchise in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections very carefully in the interest of the nation. "The first phase of the hunger strike is ending today but this is not the end of the agitation, Wangchuk said after taking a glass of juice from a minor girl here amid a massive turnout of people at the protest venue. The renowned education reformist said the end of the hunger strike is the beginning of the new phase of the ongoing agitation. "We will continue our struggle (in support of our demands). The gathering of 10,000 people at the venue and participation of over 60,000 others over the past 20 days are a testimon

Ladakh hunger strike: Sonam Wangchuk urges PM Modi to honour promises

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's message to PM Modi came as he continued to press for his demand for constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory of Ladakh

Police serves notices to those on chain hunger strike for Maratha quota

Police have served notices to several persons who have begun a chain hunger strike in Kalyan in Thane district seeking reservations in jobs and education for the Maratha community, an official said on Friday. The participants include workers of the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena, he said. Shiv Sena Kalyan district president Arvind More said it was unfortunate police was serving notices at a time when a Maratha was the state's chief minister. If this was the case, then we don't need such a chief minister, More said.

General Motors Employees Union calls for chain hunger strike from Oct 2

The employee union of General Motors India has called for a chain hunger strike from Monday, demanding transfer of all its workers to Hyundai Motor, which plans to acquire its manufacturing facility in Talegaon. The American automobile giant stopped selling its cars in India from 2017. General Motors Employees Union in a statement on Sunday also accused the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government of not taking the unemployment issue of thousands of workers of the auto firm seriously. General Motors is selling its Talegaon plant in Pune to Hyundai Motor, while 1,000 permanent workers of General Motors are not being employed by the new company (Hyundai), the union said in a statement. Due to this, the problem of unemployment of thousands of workers has arisen. The (state) government is repeatedly requesting a meeting to get justice, but it is not taking the labour issue seriously, the union said. Therefore, as many as 1,000 workers of General Motors Employees Union will go on cha

MSMEs in Tamil Nadu go on strike over rising power costs today

Around 165 associations in Tamil Nadu are participating in the strike, bringing about loss of labour for a day for almost three crore workers. The government's revenue loss will be ₹ 1,200 crores

Jarange ends hunger strike over Maratha quota demand after meeting Maha CM

Manoj Jarange, who was on a hunger strike to demand reservation for the Maratha community, on Thursday ended his fast on the 17th day of his protest after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met him and assured that the government was committed to providing quota to Marathas. CM Shinde, accompanied by some of his ministerial colleagues and other leaders, arrived in Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district around 10.45 am. The CM met Jarange and held talks with him for some time. Around 11.15 am, Jarange ended his fast by drinking a glass of juice offered by CM Shinde. His hunger strike to press for the demand of reservation in government jobs and education to the Maratha community, was on since August 29. On September 1, police had lathi-charged a gathering at Antarwali Sarati village during Jarange's hunger strike, leading to angry reactions in many parts of the state. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said his government was committed to providing reservation to