BERHAMPUR: Tension gripped MKCG Medical College and Hospital here after a violent clash broke out between students of three premier state-run medical colleges of the state on Tuesday.
The violent scuffle among students of MKCG, SCB MCH in Cuttack and VIMSAR, Burla forced the authorities to cancel the inter-medical college festival which was scheduled to be held from October 16 to 18.
Sources said students from Burla and Cuttack had arrived at MKCG MCH in Berhampur to participate in the cultural fest. At around 3 am, an altercation broke out between SCB and VIMSAR students with their MKCG counterparts reportedly over a past rivalry. The disagreement escalated into a physical altercation near hostel number 3 of the medical college.
Some MKCG students sustained injuries and reportedly retaliated. The buses of the visiting students were vandalised, glass panels broken, and stones, mud, and even cow dung hurled at the vehicles. Some visiting students were also injured in the incident. Later, the visiting students returned to their respective colleges.
MKCG dean Dr Suchitra Dash described the incident as ‘regrettable’ and said such conflicts should be avoided in the future. Following the scuffle, a college council meeting was held on Tuesday evening, where it was decided to cancel the inter-medical college festival this year. However, some MKCG students staged demonstration at the administrative building demanding that the festival be held as scheduled. The protest was continuing till reports last came in.
Police are keeping a close watch on on the campus to prevent any further flare-ups among the students.
Sources said it is suspected that the Tuesday’s violence was a fallout of the clash in VIMSAR, Burla two years back. During the inter-medical college festival ‘Euphoria’ in 2023, students of MKCG and VIMSAR were involved in a violent clash, leading to disruption of the event.