THRISSUR/KOZHIKODE: Teaching gender politics is encouraged, as long as there is a barrier to separate the men and women in attendance. At least, this is what the Mujahid Wisdom Group’s student wing believes. This was evident from a photo shared by a Mujahid leader on social media showing students of Thrissur Government Medical College attending a class on the topic. A curtain separated the male and female participants!
Several progressive thinkers were quick to condemn the incident. “Why they are studying is the only question to be asked. Will they show a similar discrimination while treating patients belonging to different communities too?” Infoclinic founder Jinesh PS said on Facebook.
Since the caption claimed the event was organised at GMC, the institute too came under fire on social media. However, the college union clarified that the programme was not organised by the college administration or the students’ union. It also refuted the claim that the event was held on the college premises.
“The programme was held near a place of worship in the vicinity of the college by a religion-oriented organisation. Neither the college administration nor its students’ union has any connection with it,” the union said in a statement.
The programme was organised by the Salafi group last Wednesday. Dr C P Abdulla Basil, who had graduated from Government Dental College, Alappuzha, was the resource person. Dr Basil is a social media activist who is known from his anti-liberal stand. Dr Basil himself posted the photo of the event on Facebook. Both pro- and anti-liberal sections reacted sharply.
Dr Basil told TNIE that it was a private programme held outside the campus, where Quran classes are being conducted for the students. “Usually, boys and girls are separated by a veil in those classes and the organisers made the same arrangements for my class too,” he said.
Dr Basil said he had taken classes at different places where boys and girls sat together. “I never impose my preference on the audience. Personally, I believe that there should be a segregation between men and women. The nature of the segregation can be debated,” he said.
Most of the people who reacted were disturbed by the fact that the segregation was made in an audience consisting of medical students, whose profession demands constant intermingling of sexes.
“The argument is flawed. Doctors do maintain segregation demanded by the religion while taking part in religious rites. But they do not impose segregation while practising their profession,” Dr Basil said.
However, Dr Shimna Azeez, a medical activist, blasted both the organisers and participants. “The person who speaks can see everyone, but there is a veil between the boys and girls who are studying in the same class!” she wrote in a Facebook post.