SIVASAGAR, May 10 � Sivasagar, the hometown of Dr Sarita Tasniwal (26), a post-graduate student of the Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh, who was brutally murdered on Friday morning by a ward boy Kiru Mech, today wore a gloomy look, even as it observed a 12-hour bandh against the incident, called by the Marwari Yuva Mancha, and supported by several organisations.
The 6-to-6 bandh today, was supported by more than 25 organisations, including the All Assam Students� Union, All Tai Ahom Students� Union, All Assam Bengali Students� Federation, Ujani Assam Muslim Kalyan Parishad, Brihattar Asomiya Yuva Mancha, etc.
A protest meeting, presided over by the president of Marwari Panchayat Pradip Khemka, was held at the Marwari Milan Mandir, in which representatives from various organisations expressed shock at the incident and resented the lack of security of the doctors and students of the institute.
The members of the organisations, as also the general public of Sivasagar, covered their faces with black cloths and took out a silent rally. Later they submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister and the Health Minister through the Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner, demanding justice for the family of the deceased, proper security arrangement in the hospital, a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to her family, a government job to one of her kin and stringent punishment to the accused.
The body of Sarita, daughter of Kishanlal Tasniwal, was brought to her Amolapatty residence last night, where a large number of mourners paid floral tributes to her. This afternoon just after Sarita�s mother reached here at 4 pm from Rajasthan, where she had gone for her daughter�s marriage shopping, her body was taken to the Shantivan Smashan at Thanamukh where the last rites were performed.
It needs to be mentioned that Sarita was engaged to her batchmate Roshan Agarwal from Kathiatoli in Nagaon district. Their wedding had been scheduled for July 7.
Our Dibrugarh Bureau adds: A day after Dr Sarita Tasniwal was killed in cold blood at the Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) here, junior doctors of the institution are continuing with their stir, demanding CCTV surveillance and stepped-up security in the campus and exemplary punishment to the guilty.
Today, Tinkhong MLA and parliamentary secretary Etowa Munda beat a hasty retreat from the AMC campus, after the striking junior doctors and medical students refused to talk to him.
Though the junior doctors have not stated this in writing, they have been telling reporters verbally that their strike would continue till the principal, the vice principal and the superintendent of the AMC are replaced. Principal Dr AN Adhikari is accused of being �mostly absent� from the medical college, and also of being �totally negligent� towards the institution.
In Dibrugarh city, a candlelight procession was taken out from the Puja Ghat area this evening, in silent protest against Dr Sarita Tasniwal�s murder. The procession ended at the Gandhi statue at Thana Chariali.
The junior doctors� strike has severely impacted healthcare at the AMC Hospital. The undergraduate students and medical staff unions have also lent support to the junior doctors� agitation.
