In the first week of November, Anex Ron Philip was standing with his friends at the Government Medical College, Ernakulam. It was Arts Day at the college and the programmes had just got over. Watching Anex, a first year student who got the seat in sports quota, a few house surgeons came and announced that those who were not part of the events may leave the place. Anex realised it was meant for him and walked away when a couple of his friends came to warn him – they heard that the seniors were planning to beat him up. Anex kept walking towards his hostel when suddenly a gang of 10 to 12 senior students circled him. There was an exchange of words and then a physical assault.
Anex believes that he was attacked because he has never tolerated any ragging from the seniors. “I am active in sports, I do power lifting. So I’d be busy with my practice all the time. I have never given space for ragging. This seems to have made the seniors angry. I think that’s what drove them to attack me,” he says.
But it didn't stop with the attack.
With a dislocated shoulder, Anex went to the hospital where another bunch of house surgeons – batch mates of his attackers -- allegedly wrote on his case sheet that he smelled of alcohol. The next day, he gave a complaint to the principal, Thomas Mathew. An enquiry committee was formed and questions asked. But when the principal produced a suspension order on November 15, it had Anex’s name too on it. He got one month while four of his attackers got two months.
However, following massive protests, Anex’s suspension has been revoked on Monday.
“All 109 first year students and the college’s Students Federation of India protested, calling an indefinite strike on Saturday, till my suspension was revoked,” Anex says on a call to TNM.
The principal was not present on Saturday, so the protesting students laid siege to the vice principal, who agreed to hold a meeting with the principal and the students on Monday.
“It was agreed in the meeting that Anex’s suspension will be revoked while the (two month) suspension of the four senior students would stand as such. It was also agreed that this shall not be treated as an incident of ragging since no one is interested in ruining the future of four doctors,” says Noushik, secretary of the SFI unit of the college.
The three-member enquiry committee that the principal hired apparently did not question the eye-witnesses that Anex had recommended in his complaint. “They reached a conclusion that it was a fight between first year students and seniors. There was only one first year student – me. It was not a fight. It was an attack and I had responded in self-defence which led to a few injuries on the seniors too,” Anex says.
Arjun Azad, who runs an NGO to deal with students' cases, says, "The laws against ragging are very powerful. Firstly there should be an anti ragging committee in the college. It should have the presence of police, an NGO, and students from different batches. There should also be another anti ragging squad without the presence of people outside the campus. I doubt if such a squad is functional in the Ernakulam Medical College."
He adds: “When a complaint about ragging comes to the college principal, he should first record a First Information Report at the police station, within 24 hours. He should then inform the university and the district anti ragging committee. The anti ragging squad should begin investigations. The anti ragging committee would decide further action based on the investigation report of the squad.”
The college principal was not available for comment when TNM contacted him.