MBBS students, hundreds of undergraduate medical students, and medical groups have been protesting against the state government’s announcement regarding the Rs 10 lakh annual bond for students enrolled in MBBS programmes at government medical colleges in Haryana for the past 27 days.
The protest was started on November 1. “Bond policy will ruin the careers of students. The government has not yet assured any employment for the students. The strike has been going on for more than 27 days, but we have not seen any positive results. This policy will hamper the right to education,” said a student.
The members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) took part in the demonstration at PGI in Bareilly.
IMA had earlier expressed sympathy for the students’ protest and stated that it supported the Haryanan doctors, who were also protesting the state’s harshness and oppressive policies.
The Haryana State Government’s circular stated that the Rs. 10 lakh yearly bond policy would continue to be in effect for this academic year. The MBBS students had to pay the sum at the beginning of each academic year until they finished the four and a half-year programme.
According to reports, Haryana police officers attacked the medics who were protesting with water cannons, handled them roughly, and dragged them to the police station.
The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Associations (FORDA) held a black ribbon demonstration across the nation, dubbed the day “Black Day,” to condemn the government’s action and the state police’s brutality toward the students.
“The recent incident of police action against the doctors carrying out a peaceful protest against the fee hike in government medical colleges in Haryana is barbaric and highly condemnable. The astute asympathy shown by the law authorities in firing water cannons and forcefully dragging and manhandling the protesting doctors is yet another blot on the face of the medical education system in the State of Haryana and this country,” FORDA official wrote to the Union Health Minister in this regard.
“FORDA deprecates this heinous act carried out by the police, on the direction of State Government. An unwarranted fee hike in the form of a despicable bond police followed by police action on innocent doctors who have given their best in all circumstances, including the COVID pandemic, shows the apathy and weak memory the government has,” read the letter.
“This incident will not only bring down the morale of doctors in the state in particular and the country in general but will also widen the gap between the doctors and the government. We request your esteemed office to intervene and revoke any kind of legal action against the doctors and help start a channel for dialogue so that the issue is understood and resolved at the earliest,” it added.