Anandiben Patel, the Governor of Uttar Pradesh wrote to the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) of the King George Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow today, November 5, expressing her support for their Abhaya Sashaktikaran Andolan initiative.

This was confirmed by Dr Divyansh Singh, the RDA’s President and National Secretary of the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA), who shared the letter from the office of the Governor. Anandibai Patel, who also happens to be the Chancellor of King George Medical University, assured support and guidance to the initiative.

According to a note shared by Dr Singh, the initiative aims to create awareness and sensitivity towards women’s safety across educational institutions in India, ranging from primary schools to degree colleges.

The initiative was named after the moniker conferred to the postgraduate trainee doctor who was brutally raped and murdered on August 9 at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. The incident sparked nationwide unrest from the medical community, which included medical students, junior doctors, medical associations, nurses and Anganwadi workers, who took to the streets and even boycotted classes and duties in protest.

Junior doctors in Kolkata even held a 17-day hunger strike, demanding action against the accused, and an improvement in the working conditions at government hospitals in West Bengal.