Following the Durga Puja festivities, Kolkata witnessed two types of carnivals on Tuesday. One was organised by the Government of West Bengal where about 90 Durga Pujas from across the city and its outskirts participated. The other one, called Droher Carnival (carnival of rebellion), was held by protesting doctors and itattracted people from all sections of life.
The government carnival at Red Road, conceived by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2016 to mark the end of puja festivities, saw attendance from numerous dignitaries from both state and central governments. The event, held under tight security, included cultural programs, one of which featured a song written by the chief minister herself.
Each participating puja had its own set of artists and performers who entertained the audience while their Durga idols and tableaux were displayed.
On the other hand, the junior doctors had to rely on the Calcutta High Court for their carnival. The police had earlier denied doctors the permission to hold their event at Rani Rashmoni Road in Kolkata’s Esplanade area, imposing Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
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On October 13, West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant requested the doctors not to hold their carnival on the same day as the state government’s event. He cited the Calcutta High Court’s October 11 order that the Durga Puja carnival at Red Road should not be disturbed in any way.
However, the high court later came to the rescue of the doctors, allowing them to proceed with their carnival on Tuesday and instructing the police to ensure adequate security measures. Senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, representing the doctors, assured the court that their carnival would not interfere with the government’s event.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court, too, heard the RG Kar rape and murder case and alleged financial irregularities at the medical institution. The CBI informed the three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, that a chargesheet had been filed against Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer with Kolkata Police, and the alleged involvement of others was still under investigation.
The central agency also updated the court on its ongoing investigation into the alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The bench directed the CBI to submit a new status report on its probe within three weeks.
The court asked the West Bengal government to submit details about the process for hiring civic volunteers in the police force. This directive came after senior advocate Karuna Nundy, representing a doctors’ association, raised concerns about the involvement of civic volunteers in hospital security.
Representing the State, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi said that hospital security staff were now being recruited under the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act 2005. He added that it was in line with practices across the country.
Meanwhile, the court expressed dissatisfaction over the role of National Task Force, which held its last meeting on September 9. The NTF was created by the apex court to devise strategies and make recommendations accordingly for improving the safety and security of medical professionals nationwide.
The apex court directed the NTF to meet regularly and come up with “tentative recommendations” at the next hearing.
