AIIMS faculty member cries caste bias http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Times_of_India/400x60/0
25 Sep 2007, 0131 hrs IST ,Dwaipayan Ghosh ,TNN NEW DELHI: An assistant professor of the radiotherapy department, Dr Suman Bhasker has written a letter to the SC Commission alleging caste discrimination by her colleagues. She has alleged that junior doctors refused to cooperate with her accusing her of practising ''discriminatory behaviour against the upper caste resident doctors.'' Sources in the commission said that her complaint was received in the third week of July. ''The commission has already summoned some of the administrators of AIIMS in this connection. These included the director, P Venugopal and the department HoD Dr G K Rath. On Monday, the commission sat for its third hearing and decided to give AIIMS a last chance to look into the matter so that the complainant's grievances can be properly addressed. Upon Dr Rath's suggestion, we decided to ask the HoD to accompany Dr Bhasker once she goes on her rounds from Tuesday. The next hearing has been scheduled for October 22,'' said an official of the commission. Speaking to Times City Dr Bhasker said that her trouble began towards the end of May this year when she was identified as a sympathiser of the pro-reservation group. ''On June 2, which was a half day, I was told verbally that an inquiry committee has been constituted against me. Nothing in written was passed to me. I was told that there were two charges against me - of not attending work and of discriminating against upper caste resident doctors.'' She added: ''When I went to the hospital the next day, I was gheraoed by sloganeering resident doctors. After that they stopped cooperating.'' Dr Bhasker alleged that her repeated requests to senior administrators to solve the issue fell on deaf ears. Dr Rath, HoD of radiotherapy department, said that a decision on the issue would be taken only after a high level meeting on Tuesday in the institute. Institute spokesman Dr Shakti Gupta said: ''I know there was a hearing today but I don't know what happened.''
