Several senior doctors of the city feel talks are the only way to break the deadlock between the protesting junior doctors and the Bengal government.

Narayan Banerjee, a senior doctor who has stood by the junior doctors publicly in multiple protests and roadshows, wrote on Facebook: “Both sides (the state government and junior doctors) are stubborn. Many are trying to use junior doctors as pawns. A deadlock has been created and this deadlock must be broken. To win in any movement, often one has to take one step back to move two steps ahead. I don’t think there is any problem that can’t be solved by talks.”

Banerjee met Trinamul Congress leader Kunal Ghosh on Thursday, ostensibly to discuss the current situation. The meeting drew criticism from another section of doctors.

The joint platform of doctors, an umbrella organisation of several doctors’ associations, issued a statement on Friday saying that neither junior doctors nor senior doctors had given any authority to Banerjee to speak on their behalf.

Banerjee found support from veteran physician Sukumar Mukherjee. “Talks are the only way forward. I will write to the chief minister,” Mukherjee said.

At the dharna dais in Esplanade, some of the junior doctors who are on hunger strike wondered why the chief minister was not speaking to them.

“We have only one question. She who is the guardian of the state did not even speak about us. We are like her children. We saw her so involved with Durga Puja and the festivities. But she could not spare 10 minutes for us. We wonder why she is so quiet. We have been surviving only on water for the past 13 days,” said Sayantani Ghosh Hazra, who has been on a fast since October 5.