The Vice-President, Jagdeep Dhankhar today termed the violence committed against a health warrior on August 9th as barbarity expressed in extremity, shaming entire humanity. Addressing students and faculty members at AIIMS Rishikesh today, he said that such barbaric incidents put the entire civilization to shame and shreds what Bharat stands for.
Lamenting over the usage of the term ‘symptomatic malaise’ by some stray voices, Shri Dhankhar said such statements aggravates our excruciating pain and adds salt to our injured conscience.
“When humanity has been shamed, there are some stray voices, voices that cause concern. They only aggravate our excruciating pain. To put it mildly they are adding salt to our injured conscience and what do they say “it is a symptomatic malaise, a frequent incident. When it comes from someone who is the Member of Parliament, a senior advocate, then the culpability is of extreme degree. There can be no alibi for such kind of demonising thoughts. I Call upon such misguided souls to revisit their thoughts and publicly tender apology. This is not an occasion where you should be looking through political prism. This political prism is a dangerous one, it kills your objectivity”, he added.
Recognising his accountability to the medical fraternity and the women of this country by virtue of his constitutional post, Shri Dhankhar stated, “I am before you. As a matter of fact holding a constitutional position, I have to show my accountability, I have to justify the position I hold as vice president and chairman Rajya Sabha”.
“Such incidents our heart is injured, our conscience is crying and our soul is seeking accountability”, he added.
Referring to the work of medical professionals as ‘Nishkam Seva’ as pronounced by Lord Krishna without any expectation just doing their duty, the VP condemned acts of violence against the doctors in any form.
Expressing his concern for the safety of doctors at workplace, he emphasised to bring out a mechanism where health warriors are impregnably protected.
“A doctor can help only to a limit. A doctor cannot convert himself to god. He is next to God, so when somebody dies, out of emotive feelings and uncontrolled feelings, doctors are not given the treatment they deserve… .security of the doctors, nurses, compounders, health warriors must be impregnably protected”, he added.
Criticising the selective silence of NGO’s, Shri Dhankhar said that “certain NGOs on road for drop of an incident, drop of a hat are in Silence mode.We have to question them. Their silence is much worse than the culpable act of perpetrators of this heinous crime on August 9 2024. Those who seek to play politics and earn brownie points, are not responding to the call of their conscience”.
Underlining the responsibility of society to prevent such incidents and develop a mechanism where women feel safe, the Vice-President stressed, “Whoever has done it will be held accountable but society is also to be held accountable. Society cannot escape its responsibility. I don’t want to make it a matter of the government or a matter of political parties. It is a matter of society, it is an existential challenge to us. It has shaken the very foundation of our existence. It has questioned what India stands for and stood for thousands of years”.
“It is not an occasion to earn Brownie points, score political mileage. This is non partisan. It requires bi-partisan concerted efforts. There is a need for convergence of all stakeholders in democracy, to come together on one platform”, he added.
Lt. Gen Gurmeet Singh, Governor Uttarakhand, Prof. Meenu Singh, Executive Director, AIIMS Rishikesh, students, hospital staff and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
