Doctors from across Maharashtra were out in full force at Mumbai's Azad Maidan on Friday afternoon, protesting against violence meted out to them. The immediate provocation for it was the savage beating a young doctor in Dhule endured from relatives of a patient who died of kidney problems.

It was disconcerting to see the outpouring of anger from men and women, well-educated individuals, many grey haired doctors who have decades in medical practice, forced to come out in the blazing sun and to protest with banners and slogans usually reserved for the blue collared class. There was unity as we saw them speak in one voice about the increasing violence against doctors.