Hopes of a breakthrough were high when the Chief Minister agreed to meet the representatives of the private self-financing medical colleges the other day. But the talks failed as the managements did not come up with an offer to reduce the fees.

The Congress-led UDF had raised expectations of an agreement by persuading the managements to meet the CM. The Opposition would have the people believe that the managements had agreed, on their persuasion, to offer reduction of fees.

But the script changed dramatically when the managements, to the utter surprise of the opposition, denied any move to reduce the fees. The management representatives said a categorical No when the CM specifically asked them at the meeting whether there was any proposal to cut the fee.

The result: the Opposition ended up with egg on their faces. The Opposition’s chagrin was clear from IUML lader P K Kunhalikutty’s lament that it was unfair on the part of managements to change their stance after having agreed to reduce the fees while talking to them!

The Opposition had given the impression that the managements were ready to reduce the fees. But management representatives with the solitary exception of Muslim Education Society(MES) president Dr. Fazal Ghafoor, were against any reduction in fees ‘at this stage’.

To be fair to the Chief Minister, he had made it clear when Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala, Oommen Chandy and IUML leader M K Muneer met him that the government would not make any fresh proposal at the meeting. But if the managements came up with a fee reduction offer, the government would not say No either. But the opposition plan came to grief when the managements refused to make any fee reduction offer in the talks with the CM!

The dismayed Opposition then attributed the managements’ U-turn to pressure from the ruling party! They had no option but to end the hunger strike launched on the issue by Congress MLAs Hibi Eden and Shafi Parambil as the Chief Minister got a resolution passed in the State Assembly to the effect curtailing the assembly session! The CM’s deft move was prompted by the opposition’s decision to intensify the agitation inside the assembly. Now, the assembly would meet only on Oct 17 after the Pooja holidays!

True, the Opposition would continue the agitation outside the assembly by taking out processions at district capitals and by holding protest meetings. But the fact is they have been outsmarted by the moves made by the Chief Minister. The UDF would now decide the future course of action at its meeting to be held on October 17.

The CM’s refusal to budge an inch from the agreement the government had reached with the managements, has paid off for the time being. To put it in tennis parlance, it is advantage the LDF Government at the moment. (IPA)