The tussle between the undergraduate students of the Grant Medical College (GMC) and the dean of the J.J. Group of Hospitals reached a tipping point on Wednesday with the students launching a protest rally.
Nearly 100 students gathered at the Grant Medical College Students Association (GMCSA) Gymkhana at Marine Lines against the “injustice being meted out to them” at the hands of the dean. According to the GMC students, the atmosphere on campus has been disturbed since Dr. Ajay Chandanwale has been appointed as its dean. Unhappy with certain decisions taken in the past three months, the students petitioned the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) and Girish Mahajan, State Minister of Water Resources and Medical Education, on Monday.
Moral policing on campus
A student and member of the Grant Medical College Students’ Association, requesting anonymity, said the college is witnessing moral policing on campus, and protesting students have been threatened of academic consequences. “During the annual college festival, ‘Astitva,’ female students were screened on the basis of their outfits by faculty members sent by the dean’s office. Students speaking to the media further irked the dean. Boys and girls are also not allowed to talk to each other on campus, on his orders. We have also heard about a decision under which girls’ in-time in the hostel will be fixed at 9 p.m,” he said. “Many a time, the representatives are orally told about the plans of the hospital administration to demolish the GMCSA Gymkhana to construct a new building, for which a committee of a few faculty members has been formed to seek legal action,” he said.
“The dean is trying to curb our rights. We have been asked to eliminate various parts of our college festival and financial transactions have been seized for no reason. Besides that, students are being victimised.”
The students did not attend a meeting scheduled at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, but another meeting is scheduled at 12 noon with the dean on Thursday.
Dr. Chandanwale told The Hindu that the students are not stating facts and that he is simply acting on the directives of the DMER on the gymkhana issue. “What they are saying is not true. No such decisions have been made,” he said.
Dr. Tatyarao Lahane, director, DMER, said, “We have formed a three-member committee to study the matter on Tuesday. They have been asked to investigate the students’ claims, and will submit their report in 10 to 15 days. We will then decide what is to be done next.”
