A PRESS note issued by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) dated January 12, 2022, has strongly condemned the decision of the Haryana state government to invoke the Essential Service Maintenance Act(ESMA) on the doctors of Haryana state.

The CITU stated that the highhanded authoritarian action of the Haryana state BJP government by way of invoking the notorious ESMA, banning the strikes for six months altogether in the health services in the wake of the single-day strike by the doctors under the banner of Haryana Civil Medical Service’s Association (HCMSA), is deplorable.

The CITU informed that the doctors went on strike demanding, inter alia, a 40 per cent quota for in-service doctors for admission to post-graduation courses and creating a specialist cadre of doctors. The health service doctors have long been pursuing their just demands while rendering wholehearted services in the pandemic management in the state while risking their lives and safety, the statement read.

Tapan Sen, general secretary of CITU while issuing the press statement said: “The strike has been virtually imposed on the serving doctors by the arrogant refusal of the state government to even consider their demands. The striking doctors consciously exempted the emergency services such as post-mortem and Corona duties from the strike.  Despite this, the Haryana government known for its anti-democratic arrogance towards the working people imposed ESMA on the pretext of Corona.”

The CITU, while denouncing such an anti-democratic arms-twisting act, urged the Haryana government to withdraw unconditionally the draconian ESMA and settle the demands of striking doctors through negotiation with their association.