Srinagar, Sep 06: As their protest over stipend revision continues, protesting MBBS interns in Jammu and Kashmir have approached Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, seeking his intervention in what they describe as a long-pending and genuine demand.
The interns, who have been on strike since August 31, are demanding that their monthly stipend be increased from Rs 12,300 to Rs 30,000. They say the existing stipend has remained unchanged for nearly seven years despite the increasing responsibilities shouldered by interns in government hospitals.
The move to approach Rahul Gandhi comes as the young doctors look beyond Jammu and Kashmir for support, hoping that the intervention of a national political leader could help draw greater attention to their concerns and persuade the administration to issue a formal, time-bound decision.
“We have approached Rahul Gandhi because we want our issue to reach a national platform. We hope he will understand our situation and raise the matter with the concerned authorities,” said an intern, requesting anonymity.
Another protesting doctor said the interns were not seeking confrontation with the administration.
“Our demand is simple. We want a fair stipend for the work and responsibilities we undertake every day. We have approached Rahul Gandhi in the hope that our voice will be heard and a solution found.”
The interns have been holding demonstrations at government medical colleges and hospitals across J&K, with MBBS and BDS interns participating in the agitation. They say they continue to perform demanding clinical duties, including work in emergency departments, wards, operation theatres and intensive-care units, while receiving what they consider an inadequate stipend.
The demand has gained political traction in the Union Territory, with Congress leaders and other political representatives extending support to the protesting doctors.
The interns’ decision to approach Gandhi also comes against the backdrop of his recent interventions on student-related issues across the country. Gandhi and opposition MPs have publicly backed students protesting over the NEET issue, while he has also met and expressed solidarity with students involved in other protests.
For the protesting interns, that record has encouraged them to seek his intervention.
“Rahul Gandhi has spoken for students and young people in different parts of the country. We believe he can understand our concerns as young professionals too,” another intern said.
The interns maintain that the dispute is not merely about an increase in monthly payment but about recognising the professional responsibilities placed on doctors during internship.
“We spend years studying medicine and then work long hours in hospitals. We are serving patients, handling emergencies and learning under immense pressure. The stipend should reflect that responsibility,” said another intern.
The Government has indicated that the demand is under consideration and has sought time to examine the matter. The interns, however, have maintained that they want a written order and a clear timeline rather than verbal assurances.
Their demand is for the stipend to be raised to Rs 30,000 a month, which they say would bring it closer to the level of compensation available to interns in several other parts of the country.
As the protest enters another phase, the young doctors are hoping their appeal to Rahul Gandhi will help turn their local agitation into a wider conversation about the treatment, compensation and dignity of medical interns.
“We don’t want a confrontation. We want dialogue and a written solution,” an intern said.
