On Thursday (29th August), junior doctors at the Medinipur Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal launched a sit-in protest against the constant harassment meted out to them by a Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) leader named Mostafizur Rahman Mallick.
A close aide of the ex-Principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh, Mostafizur is accused of being involved in ragging. He has reportedly forced junior female doctors to dance to item songs.
According to a protesting doctor named Mohammed CB, Mostafizur graduated from the Medinipur Medical College and Hospital about 3 years ago. Despite this, the accused continues to stay in the hostel.
“He continues to harass us and threatens to evict junior doctors from the hostel. When we tell Mostafizur that we will file a complaint against him, he tells us that nothing would happen to him even if we were to approach the Health Department,” Mohammed was heard as saying.
He stated that Mostafizur has threatened not to allow junior doctors access to their registration certificates. “The TMCP leader controls everything, starting from the seating arrangement in the exams to even failing students,” Mohammed continued.
He also informed that Mostafizur even extorted ₹2000 from each junior doctor and forcibly inducted them in Trinamool Chhatra Parishad. “They run a syndicate through they they control everything (inMedinipur Medical College and Hospital),” the protesting doctor concluded.
মেদিনীপুর মেডিক্যাল কলেজের TMCP ইউনিট, ১ম বর্ষের ছাত্রদের ভয় দেখিয়েছে যে " We support Prof. Dr. Sandip Ghosh " পোস্টার নিয়ে না দাঁড়ালে হোস্টেলে থাকতে দেবে না। ছবিতে সব ১ম বর্ষের ছাত্ররা পোস্টার নিয়ে দাড়িয়ে আছে।
— D Ghosh (@deeghosh) August 30, 2024
ধিক্কার জানাই॥ ধর্ষকদের চিনে নিন॥ pic.twitter.com/5N08x3DwRf
While speaking about her ordeal, a medical student named Shreya Mondal told Republic TV, “Since the first day we took admission in this college, the teachers left the class and the students were in the class, then this unit came and closed our doors, and the rascals belonging to this Mostafizur came and ragged us.”
“We are harassed. The time we were freshers, we were taken to the auditorium. In front of the whole auditorium, they say play the item song and dance. Since that day, we are afraid. Many of the juniors are threatened that if you protest, you will become a target!” she emphasised.
She further added, “This unit enters our class and closes the door. Mostafizur Rahman comes in with his followers and they ragged us like anything. The women in the classroom were not respected; we were publicly harassed. We have an auditorium, a student was put up there, lights were flashed on the face of that student, and the rest of the auditorium was dark. They came in under the influence of drugs. From off-stage, they used to say, ‘I am playing an item song, you dance on it.’ This is how the women are treated. As of now, this place has not turned into RG Kar but it might very soon if we keep tolerating this kind of behavior.”
The RG Kar incident has already exposed the precarious state of women's safety in Bengal, a condition perpetuated by Mamata Banerjee's culture of relentless subjugation of women.
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 30, 2024
Now, another "gem" of TMC, Mostafizur Rahman, member of the TMCP unit at Medinipur Medical College,… pic.twitter.com/HT3TPkEbjg
Forced by circumstances, the junior doctors at the Medinipur Medical College and Hospital are now holding demonstrations demanding the immediate expulsion of Mostafizur Rahman Mallick from the hostel.
In the aftermath of the protests, the administration swung into action and issued a temporary ban on the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad leader from entering the college and hospital. The authorities also gave ‘written assurance’ to address all grievances of the junior doctors.
The principal of the college stated, “We are rectifying the lack of security and CCTV. We are bringing in more CCTV and have informed the health department. Security officers and safety measures, from police to constables, are being worked on. We are reforming the committees to include student representatives.”
