Emon abeg agey kokhono dekhini Barir bairey emon bhalobasha pabo jantam na … daktari pora ta safol holo (never saw such emotions never got so much love outside home we are lucky that we have read medicine)."
That is how a junior doctor who is part of the team of doctors that has been touring the flood hit areas of Hooghly, and East Midnapore and Howrah explained the general euphoria among the people after seeing the doctors' bus approaching their village.
"They literally blocked our way and mobbed us at Mechogra we thought this could be a political aftermath of the cease work in Kolkata but it was quite opposite these poor people were receiving us with so much enthusiasm," said Dr Kinjal Nanda a junior doctor.
True doctors have suddenly turned into "Gods" in flood affected regions of Bengal. "As soon as they are seeing the banner inscribed junior doctors of RG Kar Medical College they are surrounding us," he says adding how while guiding the doctors to a local club room where they have erected a makeshift health centre they express their solidarity.
"We are with you sir … we are with you dada we also want justice justice not only for the RG Kar didi --- read victim lady doctor who was raped and murdered on August 9 but also for the entire women community," shouts Eira a local college student from Panshkura even as she brings her grandfather to be examined.
"Our mohalla has turned into an island … the water is receding very slowly my grandfather had gone to make a bamboo machaan (raised platform) as our semi pucca house has partially collapsed and it is not safe to live there for the fear of snakes he fell down and injured his chest and cannot even breathe properly for the past several days these doctor babus have come like messaiah as there is hardly any help coming from anywhere," she said.
A team of doctors have come from Midnapore Medical College too to treat the patients and have set up their camp about 25 km away, said a former panchayat member adding, "we Government is sending relief but half of it is getting diverted to the houses of influential people."
When asked as to whether they are not afraid of the local political toughs who were unlikely to take their "social work" very kindly, Dr Mubaiya Hussein said, "we have formed a group of doctors who are working rising above political level so the people have no problem coming to us no one can stop us we have popular support."
The relief camp started on Friday and "till Monday the doctors had completed about 10 camps treating several hundred patients," a former panchayat member at Udaynaraianpur in Howrah district said.
After calling off their sit-in demonstration in front of the Health Department Headquarters 'Swasthya Bhawan" last week, a section of the junior doctors headed towards flood affected Panshkura in East Midnapore and other areas on Friday morning for offering relief and medical services.
"Common people have contributed tarpaulin and so many other items during our protests. We are coordinating with WBJDF and sending the relief items to the flood affected areas," a junior doctor said adding they had brought medicines and other medical stuff with them to treat the patients.
"We are overwhelmed by the support of the people I am not talking about Kolkata but also the districts and villages the local people are with us we found not a single slogan that accusing us whereas some people in power were telling that due to the cease work the people in the villages were getting angry and they would soon attack us nothing of that sort happened rather we are being welcomed with arms spread out," said another doctor.
Dittoing the doctors silent call for justice that is evident from the black badge on their chests that reads 'we want justice' the locals are also shouting the same slogan at various places," said a shopkeeper at Chachiara whose shop is still half sunk in water.
"Why should we not be with them they have not agitated for their increasing their salary they have agitated for justice for one of their sisters … we are all with them … we must be with our daughters and ensure justice to them," said Asfaq Hussain a tailor Purushottampur even as the doctors sailed into his locality on a boat.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister once again slammed the Centre for drowning Bengal even as she visited the
Borjora region of Bankura district.
"During elections they come with folded hands to beg for votes and when the opportune moment comes they drown Bengal with manmade floods," Banerjee said adding how the history of her State has been a history of deprivation.
