Doctors to help Dalit student bullied in Gujarat

Mariraj, a resident of a native of Tirunelveli, was allegedly facing discrimination for three years and consumed 15 sleeping pills to kill himself. He was immediately rushed to the Emergency Ward of a city hospital and rescued. 

Doctors from the state, including the Doctors’ Association for Social Equality (DSE) said that they are going to request the Mariraj Health Secretary to reach out to the college and make sure that the student is safe.

Dr GR Ravindranath, general secretary of the association, said, “It is our sincere request to the state government to fulfil its duty of ensuring safety to all Tamil Nadu students studying in the state and elsewhere.”

Speaking to DT Next, Mariraj said, “Professors from every department used to discriminate against me for my caste.” 

“I suffered for two-anda-half years and matters got worse when I filed a complaint with the National SC/ST Commission two months ago. They would abuse me and refuse to give me any operation theatre duty. Unable to handle the treatment, I decided to end my life,” he said. 

Stating that the professors at the University were not even allowing him to enter operation theatres, Mariraj said, “They would make me stand outside the ward like a security guard right from my initial days in the college. They kept pressurising me to withdraw my complaint and said that I would suffer for the rest of my course if I refused to do so.”

Meanwhile, even though the college administration formed a committee to look into the matter, the committee asked him to write an apology letter and rescind his complaint. 

“It is my sincere request that others from my caste not be treated the same way. I would also like my college to be changed to one in Tamil Nadu,” Mariraj said. 

Dean of the College, Bharat Shah was unavailable for comments.