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Striking medicos perform prayer at hospital
by Chandrika Jain

      New Delhi: The "Youth for Equality" banner, under which the medicos are protesting, today performed a 'hawan' (prayer) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), to ward away evil from the society. Indian Medical Association spokesperson Dr. Rajesh Bhatia said, "We have performed the hawan for the victory of good over evil. We want the politics over reservation to come to an end." Bhatia hinting at HRD minister Arjun Singh said, "The hawan aims at putting an end to the corrupt practices and those involved in it should be punished by God." Unrelenting 29 students, who have continued their hunger strike to protest against the proposed quota hike by the Government, have been joined by the faculty members as well.

     The AIIMS faculty has decided to observe a one-day hunger strike in support of the doctors and students who are already striking. Students from Delhi University and private doctors (Dentists) have also joined the hunger strike. As many as 139 students are on hunger-strike for the past week. Around 90 fainted on Thursday. The remaining handful of students has still not lost hope and is protesting. There were even rumours of one of the medicos having died, but this was yet tio be confirmed. The striking doctors are demanding a statement from the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue. Spokesperson of the "Youth for Equality" banner Dr. Harsh said, "We will continue the strike until some concrete decision is taken. Replying to a query on whether the government was sending out letters threatening termination of services to the striking doctors in AIIMS or not, he said that they had not received any such letter so far. The medicos have announced for "Dilli Chalo" rally on May 20, which would start from Maulana Azad Medical College and would conclude at Samata Sthal in Delhi, a two to three-kilometre stretch. At present, government-funded colleges have to allocate 22.5 percent of their seats to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and the proposed 27 percent reservation for the OBC students with the existing 22.5 percent would take the total seats under the quota category to nearly 50 percent, leaving only half of the total seats for the General category students. Meanwhile, the parents of the striking medical students have joined the protest against caste-based reservation in institutions of higher education.

     Meanwhile, a federal ministerial panel headed by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee is fairing out a mechanism on quota issue. The federal government is toying with the idea of a three-year timeframe for implementation of quotas for historically underprivileged in state-fund educational institutions. At present, government-funded colleges have to allocate 22.5 percent of their seats to the so-called scheduled castes formerly the untouchables of Hindu society and tribal students who get admission with lower grades. The government's latest move proposes an extra 27 percent quota for other low caste groups.

Patna police baton charge pro-quota medicos

     Patna: Patna Police launched a baton charge on a pro-reservation rally by medicos on Friday, complicating the issue further for the state and Central Governments. Witnesses said that the students were severely beaten by the police and several had to be rushed to the hospital for treatment. Police officials, however, told a different story. They said that they had not attacked the protesters. Anil Sinha, the Inspector- General of Police (Patna Range) said: "The police had no prior information that quota supporters were planning a rally. The rallysts got provoked when they saw journalists at the Dak Bangla roundabout. They alleged that the media had only portrayed the anti-quota point of view." Some policemen also sustained serious injuries and had to be taken to nearby hospitals. The situation is under control now, but there seems to be no solution in sight.

Meerut medicos intensify quota stir

Meerut: Medical students took out a rally in Meerut today against proposed 27 per cent reservation to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in higher education. The medicos burnt an effigy of Union Human Resource and Development Minister Arjun Singh. The Central government stood firm on its decision to amend constitution for granting quota to OBCs. The medicos expressed their view that increasing the number of seats would meet a saturation point after certain years. The government should adopt a long term strategy.

'Quota will scuttle medical tourism'

      New Delhi: The Indian Association of Tour Operators president, Subhash Goyal, has warned the Government that the medical tourism which is now growing at the rate of 30 percent and is slated to emerge as the two billion dollar industry in the next 4-5 years, would be severely affected if it introduced quota system in Medical institutions. Landing full support to the agitating medical students in Delhi and other parts of the country Goyal, who is a former president of Delhi University Students Union (DUSU), also pleaded with the President A P J Abdul Kalam, not to succumb to the pressure by the United Progressive Alliance Government and issue any ordinance for the introduction of quota system through the back door. Goyal said that medical tourism had brought around 1,50,000 patients from different parts of the world last year making India one of the global destinations in the intensive health care.