RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Dec.13: Former treasurer of Ranchi Unit of India Medical Association (IMA) and an assistant professor of surgery department of RIMS, Dr Nishit Ekka, has demanded cancellation of the voter list prepared to elect the state executive committee of the IMA.
The demand before the due date of the election on December 19 has created a debate among the doctors’ fraternity. While a few take it as an initiative to disturb the election process, a few take it as a step to reform the election process by which secretary and president of each district unit of the state of IMA select a few doctors as voters to elect a state committee.
“Everyone including Ekka, knows about the old system of IMA. In this situation how come he is raising the issue after the date of election was announced and the voter list has been prepared. When Ekka became an office-bearer under the same system he maintained silence and now he is vocal about taking the reform,” a doctor associated with the IMA Ranchi unit said expressing his concern over the demand.
Contrary to this, a doctor associated with the IMA Ranchi Unit said: “Something is required to be done as it is not good to deprive the common voters of participating in the election of state executive committee. It gives an impression a section of doctors want to make IMA a pocket organization.”
Contacted Ekka for his comment, he said: “Presidents and secretaries of district units do not reveal the criteria under which they decide to select voters and this raises doubt on their intention. This time as many as 180 doctors have been selected to vote to elect the state executive committee while the number of members in IMA is over 5000. Out of 180 doctors, 55 are from Ranchi, 45 from Jamshedpur, 25 is from Dhanbad and the remaining 55 are from 21 districts of the state. In the list, four doctors are from two families while only two doctors are from RIMS. Even I, despite being an old office bearer, have not been selected to vote.”
On which, another doctor associated with IMA Dr Ekka has raised the matter with a vested interest. “If Dr Ekka had been selected as a voter he would have maintained silence but as has not been selected he is trying to become a reformist. He has also approached the national body with this demand. If any direction comes from there further steps will be taken otherwise such demand has no sense. The entire country follows the same rule of selecting voters, the Jharkhand unit of IMA has followed. One from a unit of 25 doctors is selected to vote in the election of the state executive committee. Idea is to complete the election without wasting time and energy. President and secretary of each district unit are efficient enough to judge whom they select to vote for the election of the state committee.”
Contacted chairman of IMA state election committee, Dr S Prasad, for his comment on the matter, he underplayed the issue saying ‘such things happen before any election.’
