A day after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the protest by medical interns is not in anyone’s interest and the issue should be resolved as soon as possible, two medical colleges in the Valley have issued a show-cause notice to protesting interns.

The notices ask interns to explain within 24 hours why disciplinary action should not be initiated against them.

Calling the strike “gross indiscipline and professional misconduct that warrants curtailment, temporary suspension or even cancellation of internship”, one notice, issued by the Principal, SKIMS Medical College, reminds the interns that they have submitted affidavits promising they “will not be involved in any kind of strike, court cases or any other acts of indiscipline”.

“All such CRMIs (Compulsory Rotating Medical Interns) who are not attending their duties shall explain their position within 24 hours as to why appropriate disciplinary action under rules shall not be initiated against them, failing which it shall be presumed that they have no explanation to defend and the matter shall be dealt strictly as per applicable rules,” reads the notice.

In a similarly worded notice directed at two interns, Government Medical College Anantnag has given them 24 hours to explain why action should not be initiated against them.

Why the strike

Medical interns in the Valley have been on strike since August 31, demanding a hike in their monthly stipend. Medical interns in Jammu and Kashmir are paid a monthly stipend of Rs 12,500, which they say should be increased to at least Rs 30,000.

While both the government and the opposition have called the demands genuine, the opposition on Tuesday condemned the notices.

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“At whose behest has the SKIMS principal initiated action today against the medical interns for demanding a legitimate stipend hike? India is a democracy; we are entitled to peaceful protests,” PDP leader Iltija Mufti, who joined the protests last week, posted on X. “You can not hold them to ransom on the basis of a silly affidavit.”

“Doublespeak by the government when the CM only a few hours ago claimed their issue will be resolved today, only to issue these threatening letters through principals of various colleges,” she wrote.

On Monday, Abdullah had said that the issue should “not have come to this”.

“As far as I know, they have been assured. But what will happen next, you should ask (Health Minister) Sakina Itoo,” Omar said. “I would like this matter to be resolved as soon as possible. It’s not in anyone’s interest. First of all, their work is suffering. Their internship is suffering. And we don’t want our children to do this.”