West Bengal: War over vegetarian food at BS Medical College

Kolkata: The Bankura Sammilani Medical College has two warring hostel factions squabbling over vegetarian food in the college. This controversy emerges right after the fire over serving of beef at Kerala House canteen in November 2015 has died out. The tension between the boys belonging to Dr. BC Roy Hostel and Dr. SRB Hostel over serving of vegetarian food has escalated to such a point that the authorities have now posted police outside these residences to avoid any further untoward incidences from happening.

Some medical students claim that they were running the canteen for themselves as they were vegetarians and some others were demanding that they also be served a vegetarian diet in the canteen.

Praveen Yadav, a final year MBBS student told TOI they were running the canteen as they were vegetarians hailing from North India. "Some students wanted food from our canteen and as we did not have that capacity, they were asked to join from April, but soon some Trinamool Chattra Parishad students attacked us," he added in an attempt to explain the reason behind the escalating tensions.

Speaking of the vanadalism indulged in by a few, Yadav said, "Our rooms in the hostel were vandalized and some students were physically assaulted. The attacked students lodged a police complaint saying that it is becoming difficult to survive in the hostel. They are assaulting us and even anti-ragging complaint is also there against them. Some house staff doctors who are not allowed in hostel are assaulting students who joined the medical college from All India quota seats through CBSE."

"On 8th March around 10 pm two house-staff doctors used abusive words initially and then attacked first year students and later started beating us. When the hostel authorities were informed they assured us safety. All students of All India quota were sleeping in a single room due to threat by those two house staff doctors. Around 3.10 am they along with their accomplices entered the room by breaking the gate and attacked us with stones, broken glass pieces, logs and chair." Yadav described. He further revealed that when they went to the police station these two doctors broke the lock of all 10 rooms allotted to all India Quota students and broke laptops, mobiles and have stolen purses and watches."

Principal of BS Medical College, Dr Partha Pratim Pradhan said that two groups had been fighting over serving of vegetarian food. "Some students were not allowed in the canteen where vegetarian food was served, which led to the clash. There are complaints that these students who came from outside the state through all India quota had attacked the GS of the medical college. I am trying to solve the problem. Right now there is police posting, but it cannot continue for long. But none of the parties involved in the clash lodged complaint with me, they went to the police," the Principal explained to the TOI.