Following a series of dramatic events on Thursday, the deadlock between protesting junior doctors and the West Bengal Government persisted, as attempts to initiate discussions fell through. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee waited for more than two hours while a delegation of protesters stood outside Nabanna, the state secretariat.
Junior doctors asserted that they would not resume their duty and continue with their dharna in front of Swasthya Bhavan, headquarters of the Government of West Bengal’s health and family welfares department, where they have been sitting since Tuesday.
After the medics declined the state government’s invitation for a meeting on two previous occasions, they were called a third time on Thursday by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant. However, despite arriving at Nabanna, they refused to participate in the meeting as the state did not permit live-streaming.
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Initially, the state requested a delegation of 15 people, but the doctors insisted on their demand, and a group of 34 junior doctors from various government-run medical facilities across West Bengal went to Nabanna. The state government ultimately allowed all of them to enter.
Nabanna, however, did not allow live-streaming, leading to yet another standoff outside the secretariat. Several senior state government officials, including the chief secretary, attempted to persuade the junior doctors to attend the meeting, but the doctors stood firm in their position.
“We informed them the entire meeting would be recorded. Supreme Court can broadcast the hearing live but we cannot. It’s a subjudice matter,” CM Mamata Banerjee told the press after waiting for junior doctors for 2 hours 20 minutes.
She continued, “The CBI is investigating the case. We could have given them [protesting junior doctors] the video of the meeting. We could have submitted it to the court as well.”
Protesting doctors returning from Nabanna to Swasthya Bhavan | Salil Bera
Saying that she was ready to resign but people must not suffer, the chief minister further informed that her government had tried its best to resolve the stalemate. She had hoped for a joint press conference with junior doctors at the end of the meeting, and requested them to resume their duty at the earliest as directed by the Supreme Court.
“I have been waiting for three days, and I made sure not to involve those they have grievances against. I did everything I could. I apologise to the people of Bengal for not being able to resolve the issue within these three days. I forgive the doctors and urge them to return to work. This is my sincere request,” Banerjee said.
On the other hand, the junior doctors made their stance clear about live-streaming, stating they wanted the discussions to be transparent and open for everyone to see. They pointed to the state’s practice of broadcasting several administrative meetings live, questioning why the same approach wasn’t applied to today’s meeting.
“We came here to demand justice. We heard the chief minister has said that she was ready to leave her chair. We are extremely saddened by this comment as we didn’t come for her chair,” doctors told the press outside Nabanna.
“We came here because we trust the chair. We are waiting and we will also continue to wait because we trust the chair.”
