Eminent Pune doctor confronted in New Delhi, asked his religion, forced to say ‘Jai Shri Ram’
New Delhi: Eminent gynaecologist and noted author Dr. Arun Gadre was reportedly surrounded by a gang of youths in New Delhi’s Connaught Place area and asked his religion while being forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
While the Pune-based Dr. Gadre did not file a police complaint regarding the incident which occurred on the morning of May 26, he confided to a close friend of his.
“He [Dr. Gadre] was staying at the YMCA near Jantar Mantar as he was due to deliver a lecture organized by Indian Medical Association at Bijnor the next day. When he left for his morning stroll, he was accosted by a gang of five-six youth near the Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place. They surrounded him, asked him what religion he was and finally demanded that he chant ‘Jai Shri Ram,” said senior journalist, Anant Bagaitkar, to whom Dr. Gadre later narrated the incident.
Mr. Bagaitkar further said that Dr. Gadre, who had a bypass surgery recently, was “shocked and scared”. Issuing a late evening response on reaching Pune on Monday, Dr. Gadre downplayed the incident as “trivial”.
“On 26 May, I was taking a morning walk in Delhi at around 6 a.m. near the YMCA. Suddenly, few youths [confronted me] and asked me to say ‘Jai Shri Ram’. I was a little taken aback and said it. They insisted I say it loudly. I just walked away and they let me. I was not physically manhandled…I did not want to make it public nor report it to the police because I thought it to be trivial…I request everyone to treat it as trivial and not draw any conclusion,” read Dr. Gadre’s response when asked about the incident.
Dr. Gadre, who has worked with the renowned Dr. Prakash Amte, has worked for the promotion of the patient’s rights, universal healthcare and the social regulation of the private medical sector.
Known for his concern about the decline of medical ethics, he is the co-author (along with Dr. Abhay Shukla) of the expose on the rot within the medical profession titled Dissenting Diagnosis.
Dr. Gadre, along with his wife Dr. Jyotsna Gadre, has practiced in drought-prone areas in Maharashtra’s rural hinterland for several years.
courtesy: thehindu.com
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
