Still being harassed by Gujarat University: TN Dalit doctor

The doctor, who has been battling against caste-based discrimination in the Gujarat university, alleged that the officials were citing flimsy reasons for not allowing him to write the final exams. 

The last date for applications was January 25. Though I submitted the applications, along with all the other students, in time it was yet to be approved. The authorities were constantly citing reasons for the delay in approval, which include the need for some corrections in my dissertation, he stated. 

Mariraj alleged that they were trying to stall him from writing the exams. Even though the hall tickets would be issued only a week before the exams, the time for approval of the applications was over, he added. 

“Health Minister Dr C Vijaya Baskar personally spoke to me over phone a month ago. Event though, I explained my situation to him, no step has been taken so far by the state government (Tamil Nadu). I have not received any call from any government officials since then,” he added. 

However, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said, “The health department officials are in touch with Gujarat counterparts and have spoken to them on several occasions. The Gujarat government has stated that they have held a few counselling sessions with him as well.”  

Stating that the decision of transfer, if necessary, could be taken only by the Medical Council of India (MCI), he added, “We have no problem in accommodating Dr Mariraj in any of the Tamil Nadu colleges. However, it must be noted that such decisions cannot be taken by the university or the state governments but by the MCI alone.”