The decision of MBBS and BDS interns across the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to call off their strike and resume duties is welcome. More importantly, it offers the government an opportunity to resolve a long-pending issue before it turns into another confrontation. The interns have returned to hospitals after receiving a written assurance that the stipend issue will be resolved within one month on the basis of the recommendations of the Stipend Enhancement Committee. The government must now ensure that this assurance is honoured within the promised timeframe. The dispute should not have reached the stage of a strike in the first place. The interns had repeatedly raised their demand for enhancement of the monthly stipend to Rs 30,000 and had sought a clear and time-bound response from the authorities. Prolonged uncertainty and repeated verbal assurances eventually pushed them towards agitation. Interns may still be undergoing compulsory professional training, but they are also an important part of the functioning of hospitals. They attend wards, assist in patient management, support emergency services and work alongside senior doctors and other healthcare staff. Their absence inevitably adds to the workload of an already stretched healthcare system. At the same time, doctors in training have a legitimate expectation that their concerns will be considered through a transparent and responsive administrative process. A demand that remains pending for an extended period can create frustration, particularly when there is no clear timeline for a decision. The latest written commitment is therefore a step in the right direction. Following the written assurance, the interns decided to call off the strike on Tuesday. Now, it provides a definite timeline and should now replace uncertainty with action. The government should examine the committee’s recommendations without unnecessary delay, take a final decision and issue a formal order within the one-month period. There is also a larger lesson for the administration. Issues involving healthcare workers and medical students should be addressed through timely dialogue rather than allowing them to escalate into strikes. Early engagement can prevent disruption to patient care and avoid unnecessary confrontation between institutions and those working within them. The interns, for their part, have demonstrated responsibility by suspending their agitation in the larger interest of patients. They have returned to their duties despite their core demand remaining unresolved. This goodwill should be reciprocated by the government through prompt and concrete action. The one-month deadline must therefore not become another date followed by another extension. Any further delay could erode the confidence created by the written assurance and risk reopening an agitation that has now been suspended in good faith. The Jammu and Kashmir government has an opportunity to close this chapter permanently. It should act decisively, issue the necessary order and ensure that the stipend question is settled once and for all. The latest episode should be a lesson: genuine grievances must be resolved before they reach the streets, and once a written commitment is given, it must be honoured in letter and spirit.
Keep Promise
