Says those responsible to face public trial
The irony is that the present principal of GMC is known to be deeply religious: Dr Hasan
Rakib Altaf
SRINAGAR: Kashmir’s octogenarian separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani has issued a stern warning to the authorities of Government Medical College, Srinagar who have sent male and female students of the college to Delhi for participation in a cultural show.
The annual show, Pulse, is organised by the students’ union of All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the month of September with participation by medicos from 700 colleges across India.
According to a Facebook page of the Pulse organisers, the week-long extravaganza includes “Pop Nite, Rock Nite, Laughter Nite, Hasya Kavi Sammelan, Classical Nite, Socio- Cultural competitions, Sports competitions etc …(that) keep the audiences ‘high’ for 7 consecutive days.”
Mr Geelani said “the news has shocked me”.
He has said that the parents of students and college administration “have overlooked their responsibilities” and shown “a lack of sense of dignity” by agreeing to send the girls outside the state.
“We have taken a serious notice of this cultural show and are investigating the matter seriously,” Geelani said, adding that once the inquiry is complete “we’ll make it public and those responsible would be asked to face trial in open”.
‘Indecent’
Mr Geelani feels that participation of Muslim girls in such events violates their faith and promotes Indian interests in Kashmir.
The Doctors Association of Kashmir has also voiced its strong opposition to the participation of Kashmiri girls in the cultural show. President of the Association, Dr. Nisar ul Hasan, calls Pulse “an immoral and indecent cultural programme”.
He told FreePress that 90 medicos including 40 girls from the GMC, Srinagar had left for Delhi over the past two days to participate in the cultural show.
He says although GMC students have been participating in the event for a long time, but their participation was suspended for quite a few years.
A former principal, Qazi masood, told FreePress “No student from GMC went to the show while I was Principal of the college.”
“The irony is that the present principal of GMC is known to be deeply religious,” Dr. Hasan said.
