RG Kar impasse: Bengal CM Mamata, protesting junior doctors finally meet

Talks between the West Bengal government and the agitating junior doctors finally began on Monday evening (September 16) at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence to address the RG Kar impasse.

After four unsuccessful bids to initiate a dialogue to resolve the deadlock, a delegation of agitating junior doctors arrived at her residence for the crucial talks.

Escorted by a pilot police vehicle, around 30 medics arrived at Banerjee's residence at 6.20 pm. The meeting, which was originally scheduled at 5 pm, began around 7 pm and is still continuing.

TV channels reported that the doctors submitted a memorandum to the CM listing their demands.

Ahead of the meeting, Banerjee, while speaking to a Bengali news channel, appealed to the junior doctors to end the cease work.

"I would appeal to the junior doctors to come and sit for the talks. Every issue can be resolved through discussions. And we must strive to find a solution. There is a hearing on this case at the Supreme Court tomorrow (Tuesday), we are hopeful of finding a solution," she told News 18 Bangla.

Previous attempts to resolve the issue got stuck due to the state government's rejection of the doctors' demand for live-streaming and video recordings of the meeting.

The agitating medics later agreed to a compromise, now only asking to record the minutes of the meeting and receive a signed copy.

The state government accepted this condition, with Chief Secretary Manoj Pant saying both parties will sign the minutes of the meeting and share copies for clarity.

The state government also allowed the two stenographers, accompanying the agitating doctors, inside the venue to record the minutes of the meeting.

The agitating doctors, however, have stuck to their demands.

"We also want the issue to be resolved but not at the cost of any form of compromise on our five demands. We are going to the meeting to discuss all the issues with an open mind," an agitating doctor, who is present at the meeting, said before leaving for the talks.

Meanwhile, the doctors continued their sit-in outside Swasthya Bhawan, the headquarters of the Health Department, for eight days and the 'cease work' for the 36th day seeking justice for the doctor who was raped-murdered at RG Kar Hospital and removal of Kolkata Police Commissioner and senior state health officials.

Earlier in the day, the state government "for the fifth and the final time" invited the protesting doctors for talks to end the impasse, two days after the dialogue failed to take off over disagreement on live-streaming of the meeting.

On Saturday, Banerjee made a surprise visit to the protest site and assured the doctors that their demands would be addressed.

However, the proposed meeting fell through when the protesters claimed they were asked to leave "unceremoniously" after waiting for three hours at the gates of the CM's residence.

(With agency inputs)