Immediately Enact a Law for the Protection of Medical Personnel

The unprecedented and spontaneous mobilisation of doctors, particularly junior doctors in angry protests against the barbaric rape and murder of a young doctor in Bengal's R G Kar hospital reflects not only the solidarity for the young woman victim but also the experience of doctors against unsafe and insecure conditions of work. This has received widespread people's support. It is unfortunate that the Modi government, instead of an urgent response to the demand for a comprehensive legislation for the protection of medical personnel, chose a bureaucratic response of assurance to set up a committee to look into the issue. The law should be enacted without any delay in consultation with medical fraternity. 

While the Supreme Court has taken suo moto notice of the R G Kar case, the issue of appropriate legislation is in the jurisdiction of the central government. In so far as the Bengal state government is concerned, every day brings fresh evidence of its efforts to sabotage the processes of justice and threaten all those who dare to raise questions. The statement of the father of the victim having no confidence in the Chief Minister and government, largely echoed by the people, reflects the reality of the cover up at every stage. 

The Polit Bureau demands that the central government act urgently to enact an appropriate law. It condemns the state government for its efforts to conceal and protect the criminal nexus which made such a barbaric crime possible. It demands justice for the victim and her family.