Mamata Banerjee, Protesting Doctors Finally Meet To End Impasse

The protesting junior doctors of Kolkata, after two failed attempts at talks with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, have reached her Kalighat residence for a third. The state government has described this as a “fifth and final invitation for talks”.  Unlike the last two times, they have made it past the doorway and talks have started, sources said.

Two earlier meetings — one on Saturday — had fallen though as the two sides could not come to a consensus on whether the proceedings should be live transmitted or videographed, with the video handed to the doctors right after it ends.

In both cases, the doctors had reached the venue but left without sitting down at the proverbial table.  On the first occasion, images of the Chief Minister sitting in an empty hall of the state secretariat, waiting for the doctors’ delegation, had gone viral.

So did Saturday’s cellphone videos of her asking the doctors to come inside and have a cup of tea at least even if they were unwilling to join discussions. The doctors had gone to her Kalighat home. As the Chief Minister waited, arguments continued over live transmission of the proceedings.

In between, the Chief Minister came to the door and assured them that they would be given a copy of the video recording after the Supreme Court proceedings are over. She also invited them in for tea. But the doctors refused, saying they only want justice.

Post-9 pm, when they were finally on board with the idea of having minutes of the meeting, signed by both sides, they were told it was too late. By then, the news had come about the CBI arrest of former RG Kar hospital Principal Sandip Ghosh and a local police officer over allegations of evidence tampering after the August 9 rape-murder of the young doctor that is at the heart of the protest.

The Chief Minister went inside her two-room accommodation, saying if the doctors wont come in for discussions or tea, she would continue with her work.