BJ dean victimising medicos, alleges doctors’ association
Junior Doctors Association chief writes to UGC’s anti-ragging panel, accusing dean of pressuring senior students into accepting guilt in ragging case; says the 3 suspended students are innocent while dean says strong message against ragging has to go out
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, March 08, 2014 http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2014030820140308040213781a558118/BJ-dean-victimising-medicos-alleges-doctors%E2%80%99-associationBJ-dean-victimising-medicos-alleges-doctors%E2%80%99-association.html
The controversy surrounding the ragging of freshmen by seniors at B J Medical College refuses to die down with the Junior Doctors Association (JDA) president Vishal Chaudhary taking up the cudgels on behalf of those held guilty and suspended. He has written to UGC’s anti-ragging committee accusing Dean Bharat Shah of pressuring the accused into accepting their guilt. “He is out to finish their career,” Chaudhary alleged.
Claiming that the students are innocent, he sought fresh investigation into the incident by a neutral agency which is not under the influence of the dean. “The first year students have given in writing that they were never ragged by their seniors,” Chaudhary stated in the letter. “I represent all the students of BJ College, UG and PG. The three students who were suspended and 44 students against whom action was taken are totally innocent and are being victimised by Dean sir. He is out to finish their careers,” Chaudhary wrote.
While Dr Shah denied the charge, Chaudhary asserted that he had the support of the entire college, including first year students who were allegedly ragged by the seniors, in the episode. Chaudhary added in the letter that Dr Shah pressured two of the three suspended students, Nirav Patel and Dhrumin Patel, to give in writing on September 17, 2013 that they had ragged the first year medical students. They had no option but to accept it as they were alone and feared the dean would finish their career, Chaudhary claimed.
Requesting investigation by a neutral authority, he added, “It is my humble request that the whole matter be investigated by a neutral, independent authority who is not under the influence of Dean sir, directly or indirectly. Besides, the suspension of all 47 students must be revoked till investigations take place.” Stressing that the anti-ragging committee was not formed as per the rules, Chaudhary wrote, “No parents, students belonging to fresher category as well as seniors and nonteaching staff were included in the committee, and seniors never got an opportunity to defend themselves. They also never issued show cause notice.” Incidentally, when contacted Chaudhary said someone had sent the letter from his mail id. “I have not written the mail. Someone might have used my mail id to send the letter to MCI. But it is true that the students have been implicated and wrongly punished.”
‘STRONG MESSAGE NEEDED’
When contacted, Dr Shah denied the allegation of pressuring students into accepting their fault. “The students accepted their fault in front of 20 members of the anti-ragging committee. Besides they are grown up and know what they are doing. There is now way I could have put pressure on them,” he said. A strong message against ragging had to go out and the committee had made its decision, Dr Shah said. “We cannot tolerate misbehaviour or ragging. If we do not take firm steps, coming batches, too, will face harassment at the hands of seniors,” he added.
THE CASE
The ragging controversy began on September 17, last year, when some students called up the helpline of University Grants Commission and complained of being ragged by senior students. The complainants told UGC officials that they were being forced to sing and dance and do a number of menial chores, like getting tea and cigarette for seniors. Following the complaint, the college officials suspended three and had asked 42 others to leave the hostel immediately.
As part of their punishment, the second group of students found guilty was also directed to take up five hours of daily social service for six months. The punitive action saw the student community erupt in angry demonstrations on the campus. A fivemember committee was formed to look into the issue. However the panel, consisting of senior medical professors -- Dr M F Shaikh, Dr M M Vegad, Dr Pankaj R Patel, Dr C A Pensi, and Dr Mira Desai -- upheld the college’s decision and concluded that exemplary action should be taken to avert similar incidents in future.
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, March 08, 2014 http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2014030820140308040213781a558118/BJ-dean-victimising-medicos-alleges-doctors%E2%80%99-associationBJ-dean-victimising-medicos-alleges-doctors%E2%80%99-association.html
The controversy surrounding the ragging of freshmen by seniors at B J Medical College refuses to die down with the Junior Doctors Association (JDA) president Vishal Chaudhary taking up the cudgels on behalf of those held guilty and suspended. He has written to UGC’s anti-ragging committee accusing Dean Bharat Shah of pressuring the accused into accepting their guilt. “He is out to finish their career,” Chaudhary alleged.
Claiming that the students are innocent, he sought fresh investigation into the incident by a neutral agency which is not under the influence of the dean. “The first year students have given in writing that they were never ragged by their seniors,” Chaudhary stated in the letter. “I represent all the students of BJ College, UG and PG. The three students who were suspended and 44 students against whom action was taken are totally innocent and are being victimised by Dean sir. He is out to finish their careers,” Chaudhary wrote.
While Dr Shah denied the charge, Chaudhary asserted that he had the support of the entire college, including first year students who were allegedly ragged by the seniors, in the episode. Chaudhary added in the letter that Dr Shah pressured two of the three suspended students, Nirav Patel and Dhrumin Patel, to give in writing on September 17, 2013 that they had ragged the first year medical students. They had no option but to accept it as they were alone and feared the dean would finish their career, Chaudhary claimed.
Requesting investigation by a neutral authority, he added, “It is my humble request that the whole matter be investigated by a neutral, independent authority who is not under the influence of Dean sir, directly or indirectly. Besides, the suspension of all 47 students must be revoked till investigations take place.” Stressing that the anti-ragging committee was not formed as per the rules, Chaudhary wrote, “No parents, students belonging to fresher category as well as seniors and nonteaching staff were included in the committee, and seniors never got an opportunity to defend themselves. They also never issued show cause notice.” Incidentally, when contacted Chaudhary said someone had sent the letter from his mail id. “I have not written the mail. Someone might have used my mail id to send the letter to MCI. But it is true that the students have been implicated and wrongly punished.”
‘STRONG MESSAGE NEEDED’
When contacted, Dr Shah denied the allegation of pressuring students into accepting their fault. “The students accepted their fault in front of 20 members of the anti-ragging committee. Besides they are grown up and know what they are doing. There is now way I could have put pressure on them,” he said. A strong message against ragging had to go out and the committee had made its decision, Dr Shah said. “We cannot tolerate misbehaviour or ragging. If we do not take firm steps, coming batches, too, will face harassment at the hands of seniors,” he added.
THE CASE
The ragging controversy began on September 17, last year, when some students called up the helpline of University Grants Commission and complained of being ragged by senior students. The complainants told UGC officials that they were being forced to sing and dance and do a number of menial chores, like getting tea and cigarette for seniors. Following the complaint, the college officials suspended three and had asked 42 others to leave the hostel immediately.
As part of their punishment, the second group of students found guilty was also directed to take up five hours of daily social service for six months. The punitive action saw the student community erupt in angry demonstrations on the campus. A fivemember committee was formed to look into the issue. However the panel, consisting of senior medical professors -- Dr M F Shaikh, Dr M M Vegad, Dr Pankaj R Patel, Dr C A Pensi, and Dr Mira Desai -- upheld the college’s decision and concluded that exemplary action should be taken to avert similar incidents in future.
