Infuriated by the offensive and inappropriate remarks made in class by their teacher, students of nursing at GT Hospital have stopped attending his lectures
Infuriated by the offensive and inappropriate remarks made in class by their teacher, students of nursing at GT Hospital have stopped attending his lectures
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About 31 furious second-year students of nursing at GT Hospital have not been attending lectures for over a month now, as a mark of protest against the inappropriate remarks made by their tutor Ramesh Bandre, in course of his lectures.
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The students claim that their numerous complaints to Vrushali Deshpande, the principal of nursing, and Dr G T Chaudhari, the superintendent of the hospital, have fallen on deaf ears.
The enraged students stopped appearing for the lectures since May 6. MiD DAY has obtained a copy of the complaint that was submitted by the students to the hospital authorities on June 2.
Among the many complaints lodged against Bandre, one accused him of using foul language, when an altercation with a colleague led to the cancellation of an educational excursion.
The students alleged that they were made to sit for a prolonged duration in the bus, while it repeatedly encircled the hospital. All the while, Bandre vented spleen, addressing his students disrespectfully.
The students also alleged that Bandre has caused several of his students great mental distress. Reportedly, Bandre would repeatedly indulge in inappropriate discussions that were not remotely related to the subject that was being taught.
Referring to one such instance that took place on May 6, the nursing students wrote, "On the pretext of sharing a joke with us, Bandre Sir related an incident where a female student of Human Rights had pointed out that many women had been coming forward to reveal that they had been raped by their husbands.
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But Bandre Sir opined that it was the husband's right to rape his wife, and that it was the duty of the wife to ensure that a situation did not arrive in the marriage which necessitated such an act."
Ramesh Bandre
The charges do not end there. Students have alleged that Bandre would make proud claims about students in his earlier batches that harboured affection for him and expressed their desire to marry him.
The students also complained that Bandre would make other gender-biased and politically incorrect remarks, saying on one occasion that women with fair complexions should refrain from work.
The students have also leveled the charge that Bandre would keep his students standing in class for unnecessarily long periods. They complained that in one instance, the students had been made to sit in the hospital compound as punishment.
The last straw
The students reached the end of their tether when Bandre, in the middle of a class, alleged that a student nurse was engaging in an illicit relationship with a class IV servant. It was then when the students decided to pen down their grievances and lodge their protest against their own teacher.
"Although the syllabus has not been completed yet, we have not been attending the lectures. But no one seems to care enough.
Even in earlier batches, students have faced similar problems, but nothing has been done to address the issue. Our seniors and others keep telling us to adjust and accustom ourselves to Sir's personality," reads the letter.
The Other Side
Attempting to explain himself, Bandre said, "The students are not attending lectures. I have notified the authorities in writing. I cannot force them to attend the lectures."
Asked about the serious charges leveled against him by the students, Bandre said, "I had arranged an educational excursion to a hospital in Wadala, but another tutor had organised a different excursion on the very same day, unknown to me. The students were flustered and started creating a ruckus.
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I admit I had used foul language to address them. Upon realising later that they had been offended, I apologised to them. The other teachers are instigating the students against me. This is the only reason they have complained."
He further added, "I did talk about a particular student's private life. This girl had told all her friends that I was interested in her.
To get back at her, I told all her friends that she was having an affair with a servant. I understand that it is her personal life.
About the comments on marital rape, it was merely a light-hearted discussion ufffd these students are taking everything the wrong way."
Dean of GT Hospital, Dr T P Lahane, said, "I have not received the letter from the students yet. But we will conduct an enquiry on the matter. If the complaints against the teacher is proved, then I will surely take disciplinary action against him."
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