The turning point of the anti-reservation movement took place in Mumbai when the police lathi-charged protesting medical students outside the city's Raj Bhavan. The incident resulted in rallying support in different parts of India.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, water cannons were used against junior doctors at India Gate. "When they were injured and brought into the casualty ward here, it was the bursting point," says Dr Kaushal Mishra, president of Youth for Equality.
After these incidents Kaushal says all premium medical colleges went on strike. Around 150 juniors sat on a hunger strike and were joined by other medical colleges in the city.
"A week after the hunger strike began, there were around 15,000 people on the AIIMS campus every day. We had signatures on chart papers running through the length of the lawn, which is around 150 metres -- we had 15 folds of that paper. We used to meet 2,000 to 3,000 people every day. I may have been the 3rd or 4th person to stand in that anti-quota protest but today I am on top of the list."
Looking back, he feels the movement was highlighted because AIIMS provides a readymade media item for the news business. Moreover, it was not expected of doctors -- seen as sedate protestors -- to come up with such a vociferous agitation.
"Had it begun in Bombay it would not have had that effect. Because the seat of power is in Delhi, we could negotiate directly with the HRD minister and other Congress emissaries. They were expecting some action from Delhi University which has 80,000 students on its rolls, AIIMS was the last place," says Anil Sharma.
Image: Doctors ended their strike after the Supreme Court directed them to call off their agitation. Many had not expected doctors -- seen as sedate protestors -- to stage such a vociferous movement.
Photographs: Manpreet Romana/AFP/Getty Images
Also see: Doctors in Arms
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