Resident doctors of public hospitals in Mahaharashtra were on strike again, demanding parity in their stipend with other states. This was their sixth strike in two decades. The usual pattern is that the strike is carried forward for two to three weeks and then withdrawn in the face of government coercion. The government does little to prevent such strikes, or to hold any meaningful discussion with the agitators once they begin. This is primarily because the people affected by the strike are poor and unorganised, and cannot put much pressure on the government. Also, the public's health is a low priority for all political parties.