The indefinite fast of six students of the state run Calcutta Medical College and Hospital entered sixth day on July 15.
 

The fast was undertaken to press for their demand for accommodation in a new hostel which is allotted only for first year students, the agitating students said. Principal Uchhal Bhadra, in a fresh appeal, today urged the students to withdraw the fast. "With the admission process to the first year going on, I urge the students not to continue the fast. We will sympathetically consider their problem. We are ready for dialogues any moment. We had previously held talks on July 13. Our doors are open all the time," he said.

The fasting students belonged to the second, third and fourth year of the state-run medical college and hospital. They demanded that senior students should be housed in the newly-built hostel complex which has plenty of spaces and they should not forced to put up at the "run-down, old hostel building for seniors."

Bhadra told reporters today that the old hostel building will be renovated very soon and those senior students, who are facing accommodation problem, can be put up there. The principal earlier said as per guidelines of the Medical Council of India (MCI), freshers and seniors cannot be accommodated in the same hostel building to prevent incidents of ragging. He said the college authorities were ready to address the problem faced by the agitating students but accommodation at the new hostel building was not possible.

The students, however, said, "Our demand is non-negotiable." Two of the fasting students have fallen ill during the past four days and were taken to emergency on July 13 and were currently under treatment, Ayan Dey, a third year student said. In place of the two hospitalised students, two others have joined the fast, another third year student said. On July 5, the senior students had gheraoed the principal. However, the gherao was withdrawn after the police were called in.