Calcutta Medical College students celebrate their victory

Kolkata : Organising a "victory" march in the city, the students of Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata on Tuesday said their fight has helped them to earn their democratic rights and foiled a "politically motivated agenda".

The students had withdrawn their indefinite hunger strike on Monday following a written assurance from the authorities that two floors of a new 11-storey hotel would be allotted to them.

On their 14-day 'hunger strike', a house staff of the hospital told media persons that they had "opposed the appointment of Partha Pratim Mondal as hostel superintendent".

"We felt his appointment was a politically motivated agenda. There are professors who, according to us, deserve the post."

He in the last two council meetings, it has been decided that some professor will be appointed as the superintendent of the new hostel but there was no official notice of the same.

Students also claimed that their teachers had supported their demands.

The students had started the protest demonstration on June 24 after authorities at the 183-year-old state-run medical college, one of the oldest of its kind in Asia, notified that the only freshers would be accommodated in the new hostel building. The senior had alleged their existing hostel was in a deplorable state.

"It was a fight for all independent students. We want the students of all the medical colleges in West Bengal should raise their voice for their democratic rights and not bend in front of the power-hungry people with vested political interests," said a statement from the students.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government on Tuesday appointed Prof Pradip Kumar Mitra as the Director of the state Medical Education Department, removing Dr. Debasish Bhattacharyya from the post - a move that seemed to be triggered by the students' agitation.