CMCH students withdraw indefinite hunger strike
Kolkata: The agitating Calcutta Medical College and Hospital(CMCH) students lifted their indefinite hunger strike on the 14th day today after a college council meeting decided to give in to their demands and accomodate senior students in two floors of the new 11-storied hostel.
The college council meeting decided that students of second to fourth years will be alloted rooms in the two floors of the new hostel builing, a CMCH spokesman said.
The indefinite fast was launched by six students of the premier institute, on July 10 and were joined by 15 others on July 19. The agitation was withdrawn at 2 pm this noon, he said.
Three of the protesting students fell ill during the indefinite hunger strike and one of them had been admitted to the hospital. He was discharged today and the condition of the other two is stable. They were seen celebrating with their friends after the fast was withdrawn.
Sayantan Mukuty, a student supporting the stir, said the authorities have assured to accomodate the senior students in the new hostel building soon and make public the list of the allotted seats.
The strike over hostel rooms was launched after the authorities at the state-run college notified that the new 11-storey building would be allotted only to freshers and refused to relent to the requests of the senior students .
The old hostel, the protesters alleged, was in a "dilapidated" condition and did not have sufficient space to accommodate all senior students.
Today's college council meeting had been convened by the new officiating principal Ashok Bhadra and was attended by heads of departments and other officials. It decided that the modalities of allotment of seats in the new hostel building will be chalked out in consultation with the students soon.
The Director of Medical Education (DME) Prof Debashis Bhattacharya and the college principal had appealed to the students to end the stir.
The DME had in a statement yesterday assured the students that measures were being taken to improve and renovate the hostel rooms and requested them to withdraw the hunger strike.
Bhadra took over as the officiating principal as his predecessor R Sinha resigned on July 20.
Sinha himself had taken charge only on July 17 after former principal Uchhal Bhadra fell sick in his office during the students' agitation and was admitted to SSKM hospital.
Several health organizations affiliated to Left parties held a convention yesterday infront of the administrative block of the medical college in support of the agitating students.
Thespian Soumitra Chatterjee in an audio message on Sunday alleged that the administration was not sensitive to the condition of the protesters and said that the students "had to resort to fast to press for their rights is unfortunate."
