It has been over 540 hours that a group of MBBS students from government medical colleges in Haryana are on a hunger strike, protesting against the state's bond policy. Meanwhile, other forms of protest are also ongoing, with today, December 17, marking the 47th day of agitation.
The MBBS doctors met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on December 1 to discuss the issues with the bond policy. Then, some changes in the policy were promised to them and CM Khattar even explained the modifications in a press briefing after the meeting. However, Priya Kaushik, a student from PGIMS (Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences) says, "Now, it has been 17 days since the meeting, but the government has not issued any notification regarding the promised changes."
Though not satisfied with the suggested changes, the students demand that a written document be released immediately. "Now, the changes have only been orally assured. We need an official document from the government so that we can decide our future course of action," Priya adds. The students state that the protests will continue until the state government responds.
PIL and furthering discussions
The doctors, along with the Haryana branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which stands in support of the protesting MBBS students, have filed a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the bond policy. This plea will be heard on Monday, December 19. And yesterday, December 16, IMA National President Dr Shjanand Prasad Singh had a discussion with Union Minister of Health Mansukh Mandaviya regarding the concerns over the bond policy.
However, there is no headway in the matter. So, students have resorted to various ways of protesting. The 2020 batch of students, who have their exams starting from December 26, have decided to boycott their exams. On the other hand, the newly admitted 2022 batch students, for whom the classes started yesterday, have boycotted their classes, showing solidarity with their seniors.
The medical college students are also taking to the streets, organising street plays and holding placards, to make the general public aware of their problems and demanding that the government respond soon. Dr Karan Juneja, President of the IMA Junior Doctor's Network, says, "We are hoping that the government initiates the necessary dialogues, publish the required documents and resolves the issue soon. We are ready for a legal battle, all the same."
