DMA joins AIIMS students for day-long hunger strike

New Delhi, May 25 (UNI) The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) today joined fasting medical students at AIIMS on a day-long hunger strike and a sit-in to express solidarity with the striking medicos opposing 27 per cent OBC reservation.

The protesting DMA members, raising anti-reservation slogans, and waving placards, said the government decision was not acceptable to them.

''The government has ignored the demands of the students and this will not be tolerated,'' DMA Secretary Girish Tyagi said.

He said the students and doctors will get the Association's full support in their stir.

''The issue raised by the students are valid and they should not be ignored.... By the attitude of the government it seems that it is trying to crush the voice of the striking students and doctors,'' he added.

AIIMS Faculty Association members are on a day-long mass protest leave today in support of the medicos.

Several state units of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) are observing a medical bandh today.

IMA General Secretary Vinay Aggarwal said the state branches of the Association had been authorised to chart out their own strategies.

Dr Aggarwal said on May 20 the Central Committee of the Association had authorised the state units to take their decisions.

''We condemn the government's attitude.... they have not heeded any demand raised by the striking doctors and students,'' he added.

The issue could have been resolved amicably but the government has lost the opportunity, Dr Aggarwal said.

Criticising, the government for its decision, Dr Aggarwal said it had not even considered the demands of the medicos.

''On one hand it was holding negotiations with the medicos, on the other, it has taken a decision. This is a very wrong precedent the government has set,'' he added On May 15, the IMA had called a medical bandh which completely paralysed the medical services in all hospitals, including private institutions.

The striking doctors and students have been demanding setting up of a non-political judicial committee to review the existing reservation policy.

They have shown flexibility on their demand of complete roll-back of OBC reservation.

The doctors and medical students of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Safdarjang, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Maulana Azad and the Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narain hospitals are on strike.

Resident and Junior doctors of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Ram Manohar Lohia, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Ihbas hospitals had also joined the stir.

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