KOZHIKODE: While the Kozhikode government medical college has been reporting cases of ragging on the campus repeatedly, the medicos living in various hostels there continue to suffer alleged mistreatment at the hands of the authorities.
On March 17, a first year MBBS student of the college, who was resting in his room in men’s hostel-4, was allegedly stamped on by the chief warden of the hostels, Dr Santhosh Kuriakose, using his boots. Based on the issue, the college union and the victim lodged a complaint with the college authorities against the chief warden on March 18. An inquiry committee was formed for further investigation into the case. Besides, the female students living in the medical college hostels have also raised complaints against the women wardens for slut shaming, and also verbally and mentally abusing the medicos.
Shawn M Thomas, college union chairman, said, “If the college authorities fail to take strong action against the chief warden and other college authorities who are making it difficult for the medicos to live on the campus, the union as a whole will launch an indefinite strike boycotting all our services to the college and the hospital.”
“We are also against ragging and we will make sure that no more ragging incident is repeated on the campus. At the same time, the college union won’t tolerate the mistreatment of students. Hundreds of medicos are coming to the campus with the hope of becoming good doctors. Instead, the college authorities are trying to disturb their peaceful lives here,” he added.
Earlier this month, a few female inmates of the hostel complained to the college authorities against the restrictions -- not mentioned in the college hostel rule book -- imposed on them by the warden.
“For arriving late during certain days, due to our workload and academic pressure, the hostel warden attempted to slut shame many of us. When these kinds of activities kept repeating, we informed the matter to the college authorities. But no action has been taken so far,” said a second year MBBS student.