Junior Doctors at Medinipur Medical College Allege Severe Ragging by TMCP Student Leader

Kolkata: Amid the ongoing protests over the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, now Bengal's Medinipur Medical College Hospital is under the spotlight as junior doctors have come forward with multiple allegations of ragging against Mostafizur Rahman Mallick, a prominent member of the TMCP unit at the college. The accusations include harassment of female junior doctors, who were allegedly forced to dance to item songs.

The situation escalated when Mostafizur, closely associated with Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College, published pictures of protesting junior doctors. This led to an eruption of accusations from the junior doctors. They have warned that if Mostafizur and his accomplices are not expelled immediately, their agitation will intensify.

Temporary Ban and Assurance from Authorities

Facing strong pressure from the student movement, the authorities at Medinipur Medical College have issued a temporary ban on Mostafizur Rahman's entry to the hospital and college premises. Along with that, the college authorities have also given a written assurance to address all complaints raised by the agitating students.

Testimony from Victimised Students

Shreya Mondal, a student of Medinipur Medical College, shared her harrowing experience, stating, "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 elaborated, "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."

Principal's Response

Taking cognisance of the matter, Medinipur Medical College's Principal stated that action has been taken against the culprits after discussions with the junior doctors. She said, “This allegation had come up for the first time. 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.”

The principal emphasised that the allegations were not against just one person. "They also wanted that the junior doctors make their own association. Many colleges in Kolkata have it; they wanted the same."

She expressed her disbelief over the situation, saying, "We never heard of ragging in medical college. They never made such a complaint. This is a safe place, an ideal place for education. We never had such a complaint before."