Date:24/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/24/stories/2007112462411000.htm

Tamil Nadu

Medicos give up indefinite fast

Special Correspondent

They will continue with other forms of protest

— Photo: M. Periasamy

EFFORT AT MEDIATION: Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam speaks to striking medicos at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on Friday.

CHENNAI: Medicos of government colleges in Tamil Nadu on Friday were divided on the issue of continuing their protest after discussions with Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam.

At the end of the day, they decided to give up their indefinite fast but continue with other forms of protest against Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss.

Earlier in the day, a meeting with the Health Minister led to the student representatives having an audience with the Chief Minister. The students said Mr. Karunanidhi assured them that he would write to the Prime Minister urging the Centre to shelve plans for extending the MBBS course by a year. He also told them that it was the State government’s stand not to extend the study period as it would inconvenience poor students and their parents.

This led to an announcement that the medicos would withdraw their agitation. But, things were back to square one with some students threatening to continue with the fast.

In the meanwhile, the students received the news that medicos of the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences and those in Kerala were joining the protest and would launch an agitation.

Later, Mr. Panneerselvam met the striking medicos in Coimbatore and asked them to call off the strike in the wake of the Chief Minister’s reassurance. Representatives of the students’ union told him that they respected the Chief Minister and, therefore, had withdrawn the fast unto death.

But, calling off the entire strike was not in the hands of the students’ union of any individual college or a few colleges. It had to be decided by the Tamil Nadu Medical College Students’ Council.

At a meeting of all student representatives late on Friday night, a unanimous decision was taken to give up the fast. Speaking to The Hindu, student representatives of the Madras Medical College said the decision was taken in deference to the gesture of the Chief Minister. But their protests would continue until the Centre suspended plans to extend the MBBS course by a year in order that students serve compulsorily in rural areas. The students will continue to boycott the Sambasiva Rao Committee constituted to go into their grievances, they added.