Sukla Sen Post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/fZtvD9U3fzZzTnRx/ Evidently, that the case was again going to be heard by the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning weighed heavily on the minds of the contending parties.
Mamata Banerjee, just two days back on Saturday, delivered a deadly inswinger by herself visiting the base camp of the agitating Junior Doctors braving the possibility of being heckled and humiliated. So, the Junior Doctors were under pressure to willy-nilly respond.
The tug-of-war, to be sure, continued. In the process, time was, however, running out.
At the end of this nail-biting battle of nerves, it is the doctors who had to eventually give in. Settle for written minutes-of-meeting signed by both the parties and both the parties duly receiving their respective copies then and there -- which in any case must be the standard practice -- instead of the (spectacular) live-streaming that they were so doggedly insisting on.
In the event, Mamata emerged looking all flexible. An epitome of sweet reasonableness. (Seemingly, could shake off a good part of the huge negativity that she had accumulated since August 9.) Granted almost all the demands, falling within her ambit, with the exception of the one pertaining to the Principal Secretary (ref.: < https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/rg-kar-rape-case-major-victory-for-junior-doctors-mamata-banerjee-agrees-to-remove-cp-dme-and-dhs/articleshow/113404203.cms >).
The Junior Doctors extended a tepid welcome to the meeting outcome: <https://x.com/suklasen/status/1836104633577574692>, in the immediate aftermath.
Thereafter, partly as a sort of face-saver and partly as an act of (further) foot-dragging, the Junior Doctors now put forth that they would go back to work and end the current impasse only when the Chief Minister actually implements her promises given on Monday evening (ref.: < https://m.economictimes.com/news/india/agitating-doctors-continue-sit-in-cease-work-await-states-action-on-ground/articleshow/113416058.cms >). Quite interestingly, hours after, before the Supreme Court, they would again significantly revise their stand bringing in fresh new issues and complain that the criminals are still roaming free and, hence, a sense of insecurity makes them desist from going back to work. While giving a vague assurance that a final decision would be taken by (maybe) Wednesday any specific deadline for going back to work was refused to be given. The Court would take up the case again for further hearing only next week. (Ref.: < https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ready-to-return-to-work-but-haunted-by-a-fear-psychosis-west-bengal-doctors-tell-sc/article68652158.ece >.)
What deserves to be specifically noted is that, at this very moment, as regards the ongoing dispute, the Supreme Court is trying to play only the role of a mediator, and not an arbitrator, and that too with a degree of aloofness.