• Interns demand hike in Rs 12,300 monthly stipend,
• Better working conditions; opposition parties warn of wider agitation
Srinagar|Sept, 3: The protest by medical interns across Jammu and Kashmir entered its fourth consecutive day on Thursday, with the Congress and CPI(M) joining the PDP in extending support to the striking doctors and demanding an immediate revision of their stipend.
The interns have been demanding an increase in their monthly stipend, currently fixed at Rs 12,300, besides better working conditions. They said the amount was inadequate given the long hours, demanding duties and responsibilities they undertake in government hospitals.
The agitation continued at government medical colleges, with protesting interns maintaining that they were being compelled to take to the streets despite regularly working extended shifts and attending to patients in emergency wards.
At Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir met the protesting interns and extended support to their demands.
Mir said the interns’ grievances were genuine and urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene.
“When it comes to government support to doctors, Jammu and Kashmir is at the lowest level. The demands of medical interns are genuine. Government gave them assurances in the past, but nothing has been done so far,” he said.
Mir said the interns were unable to sustain themselves on the existing stipend and described the matter as a humane issue.
“They are unable to sustain themselves at such a meagre stipend. It is a humane issue and needs to be resolved. I appeal to the chief minister to take a call and address their issue in the best possible way,” he said.
He added that if the issue remained unresolved, the Congress would consult other political parties and demand answers from the government during the Assembly session beginning September 21.
The interns said their protest was not merely about a financial hike but about recognition of the work they perform in hospitals.
“We work long shifts, sometimes 24 to 36 hours, and are expected to handle patients and emergencies. We are giving our time and energy to the health system, but our stipend has remained unchanged for years,” said a protesting intern.
Another intern said the existing stipend barely covered basic expenses.“We have to manage food, transport and other expenses from Rs 12,300 a month. After spending years studying medicine, it is difficult to survive on such an amount, especially for those posted away from their homes,” the intern said.
The protesters said they were also seeking better working conditions and greater clarity from the government on when their demands would be addressed.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti also joined the striking interns at GMC Anantnag. The PDP was the first political party to extend support to the agitation.
Iltija criticised the government over what she described as its failure to adequately compensate young doctors.
“They have been on strike for four days now; their demands are entirely legitimate. Their current monthly stipend is a mere Rs 12,300, which works out to just Rs 400 a day. In this day and age, even a labourer earns Rs 800 a day,” she said.
She demanded that the government provide a definite timeline for resolving the issue and warned of an indefinite agitation if no assurance was given.
“I want to tell the government: give them a date as soon as possible. We are issuing an ultimatum. If you do not provide a date, we will all join them in an indefinite strike and ensure their stipends are raised,” she said.
CPI(M) leader and Kulgam MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami also extended his support to the protesting interns and urged the government to revise their monthly stipend immediately.
Tarigami said the demand was neither excessive nor unreasonable, pointing out that young doctors often work prolonged shifts while being among the first to attend to patients in emergency wards.
“These are young men and women who have spent years training to serve the sick. Today, they stand on the roads instead of inside hospitals, because the system has failed to value their labour,” he said.
He said the stipend of Rs 12,300 a month, unchanged since 2019, failed to reflect the effort and responsibilities shouldered by the interns.
The interns said they would continue their agitation until the government responds positively to their demands.
“We are not against the government or the health system. We only want our work to be recognised and our stipend revised. We hope the government will listen before the situation escalates,” another protesting intern said.
With the protest entering its fourth day, the issue has now acquired a wider political dimension. The Congress, PDP and CPI(M) have backed the interns and urged the government to intervene immediately.
Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir said his party would coordinate with other political parties and raise the issue in the Assembly if it remained unresolved. Iltija Mufti warned of an indefinite strike in support of the interns if the government failed to provide a definite timeline, while Tarigami called for an immediate revision of the stipend.
