A lot of rage, a little Rang De
May 25, 8 am: Peace
I was told, the night before, that a huge rally had been planned. Three busloads of striking students and resident doctors were to have arrived at 7 am. All is calm at AIIMS though. A light shower during the night has compelled most students to sleep indoors. At this point, there appear to be more media persons than members of the medical fraternity.
Jitendra Chauhan and Nitin Jain of the University College of Medical Sciences, GTB Hospital, are wide-awake though. They sprawl quietly along a corner of the carpeted area. With them is Haresh Patel, a student from Gujarat, who has been on strike for four days and intends to stay.
"We are worried about our future," says Chauhan. "Which is why we are here. Adding 53 per cent more seats at AIIMS is not possible. Premier institutes are already overloaded, and there is a much-publicised scarcity of resources." What about the appeal from President Kalam, I ask, referring to a statement the president has just released that morning. "Why should he appeal instead of talking to us?" snaps Chauhan. "Why isn't the prime minister coming forward?"
Both Chauhan and Jain know their current academic year is already ruined. They intend to fight to the finish though. "The government says it needs 8000 to 10,000 crore (Rs 80 billion to Rs 100 billion) for infrastructure," says Chauhan. "Where is that money going to come from? Look at the status of government schools -- why doesn't it invest money there?" Jain points to the fact that there is no clear-cut definition of what an OBC or BC is anyway. "Jats in Delhi are OBCs," he says, "while, in the South, there are just Brahmins and non-Brahmins."
They tell me they didn't even know reservations existed until they reached Class 12. They realised it only at their medical entrance exams, when one of them scored 82 per cent and was ranked 150, while an OBC student scored 50 per cent and was ranked 20.
"We have been renounced by our own country," says Chauhan, calmly, not a trace of anger in his voice. "It is easier, right now, to go to America than it is to obtain a postgraduate degree here. They want our skills abroad. Here, it is all about a vote bank."
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