SHILLONG, SEPT 4: The 10 medical students who were denied admission by Assam’s medical colleges today decided to stage a hunger strike in front of the secretariat from tomorrow to demand a clear cut answer from the state government with regards to their fate.
“We have no other option but to stage a hunger strike starting from tomorrow till the state government gives us a clear cut answer on our fate,” one of the aggrieved students Iaibha A Khyllep told reporters at a news conference held here on Monday.
Khyllep, who ranked 5th from the Khasi-Jaintia list in the results declared on August 23, alleged that the authorities in the health department were given the medical students false hope and assurances despite the Medical Council of India (MCI)’s deadline for all India admission in medical colleges already expired on August 31.
The ten students had also signed the medical bond with the government of Meghalaya on August 24.
“The following day (August 25) on learning that one of the medical students from the state Natasha Boro was denied admission by the Guahati Medical College, Guwahati, we went to additional secretariat here to enquire on the matter,” he said.
He informed the health officials in the additional secretariat instead showed us an agreement signed in 1956 between the Assam and Meghalaya governments which states that 10 medical seats are reserved for the state of Meghalaya.
“We were also asked to take the agreement along for showing it to the medical college authorities in Assam only to be embarrassed when we were informed that there are no seats reserved for Meghalaya,” he said.
In his letter on July 3, the Director of Medical Education, Assam Prof (Dr) AK Barman had informed the decision of the Assam government to the principals of Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati, Assam Medical College, Dibugarh and Silchar Medical College, Silchar.
“The NEC quota under which 13 students were admitted in MBBS course previously has been abolished in the current UG admission rule of Govt of Assam and the no of students allotted seats under Central (Pool) quota has been reduced to 6 from the previous no of 15,” the letter stated.
Prof Barman also requested the three medical colleges not to admit any student from NEC quota and Central (Pool) quota.
Referring to the recent statement made by additional chief secretary in-charge health department PW Ingty that the Meghalaya government would file a case with the Supreme Court, Khyllep however said, “But we want to know what will the government do if in case the ruling of the Court is not in its favour.”
Informing that they would also submit a petition to the health department later today, the medical student said that they would also be compelled to file a case against the Assam and Meghalaya governments before the Court of law.
He alleged that the Assam government has increased the OBC seats by abolishing the seats reserved for Meghalaya.
Another aggrieved student, Kanishtha Hajong said that the state government should have opposed the move of the Assam government but instead it waited till time is running out.
Both Khyllep and Hajong also appealed to both the state governments to refrain from politicizing the issue related to medical seats with the ongoing inter-state boundary disputes between the two states.
A topper who secured second rank in the Garo list, Jeremaiah D Sangma highlighted the emotional, physical and mental trauma that the aggrieved medical students had to go through due to the entire situation which he blamed was due to lack of communication between the two states.
On the other hand, Evergreen Khongjoh, a topper from Khasi-Jaintia said that they have left the state with the dream of becoming doctors but were discouraged and embarrassed when they were denied admission.
Asked, the students said that they tried to contact the health minister Roshan Warjri for her immediate intervention into the matter but she was not available.
By Our Reporter
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