Prof S.K.BHALLA
It was terribly troubling to read and watch the developments at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence regarding the merit based admissions of one particular region’s students that left a bad taste. More gruesome were the celebrations that erupted following the withdrawal of permission when already a low doctor to population ration is intact. Where we have reached ? What has happened to all of us ? Where all the logic and rationality vanished ?
Shutting down of a medical College of excellence is a matter of remorse and not fun and frolic. The academic future of the hapless students hangs in the balance for the time being though efforts at snail’s pace are afoot to accomodate them in other medical institutions of J&K UT. A sane voice of a retired lady professor of Jammu University reflected some light at the end of dark tunnel. Petty politics, political upmanship, religious considerations, malice, hate, fissiparous tendencies and a regional bias have come to the fore.
Instead of building bridges of understanding we have dismantled whatsoever ingredients of love and amity we have in our UT. Loud mouthed street level raw voices crying hoarse with cheap sloaganerring have spoiled the show for the worst. A clear divide is visible in the society for which our coming generations shall have to pay.
When academic institutions are infected with unacademic virus it is to welcome doomsday with open arms. Intelectual inertia by and large have compounded the problems as also some in the fourth estate who always hanker after loaves and fishes. The NMC’s withdrawal is a token of misfortune. Some right thinking people should come to the forefront without any consideration of caste, colour and creed to heal the wounded psyche for the larger public good.
Disclaimer: The author of the article is a retired degree College Principal. The views expressed are his own and the portal is impartial in subscribing to views of the author.