AIIMS resident Doctors, medical students observe Black Day

New Delhi, Aug 23 (UNI) AIIMS resident doctors and medical students observed Black Day today in protest against the government's decision to implement OBC quota in institutes of higher education.

Medical students will go on a 24-hour flash strike and AIIMS resident doctors will proceed on a day-long casual leave tomorrow.

Students of Maulana Azad Medical College, AIIMS and University College of Medical Sciences will boycott classes and duties tomorrow.

The decision was taken at the general body meeting of the Youth For Equality (YFE), which is spearheading the agitaion, here tonight.

The doctors will go on mass casual leave tomorrow to protest against the decision. Essential services, including emergency, in the world renowned health care institution will function normally.

However, services in the OPD might be affected as it will only be run by senior doctors in the absence of resident doctors.

The residents and students will gather at India Gate and form a human chain as a mark of protest.

The protesting residents and students, wearing black arm bands and badges, attended to patients today.

AIIMS students Union president and YFE member Anamaya Sharma told UNI, ''The students will assess the situation agian tomorrow and if required, the strike might be made indefinite. We will make the government realise its mistake.'' ''The Government has to realise that it has to be answerable.

The future of millions of people cannot be decided in such a hurry.

We will keep protesting the move,'' AIIMS RDA president and Youth For Equality (YFE) leader Binod Patra told UNI.

He claimed that the Government had taken the decision because it is a ''political compulsion,'' he added.

''We want to know from the government on what basis is reservation being implemented.... Who will benefit from this quota-- the creamy layer or the economically backward?'' he demanded.

The AIIMS RDA President said the Government had taken the decision despite the matter being sub judice.

''We fail to understand why the Government was in such a rush to implement this decision..... the matter is still pending in court,'' he added.

The Union Cabinet on Monday night decided to introduce the OBC quota Bill in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament which ends on August 25.

Yesterday, resident doctors and medical students, from all medical colleges in the capital, held a protest rally at Jantar Mantar during which they clashed with police when they were trying to march towards Congress President Sonia Gandhi's residentce at 10 Janpath to submit a memorandum.

Police used water canon and lobbed teargas shells to stop the protestors, including students from Delhi University, JNU, and IP university from breaking the security cordon.

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