India
Rajasthan: High Court allows Rajasthan government doctor to run for polls, rejoin job if he loses
[ad_1]
JAIPUR: Dr Deepak Ghogra, a gynecologist at the government hospital in Rajasthan’s Dungarpur, is taking his Hippocratic Oath to the next level — seeking not only to heal his patients but also the ills of society. The 43-year-old doctor from a scheduled tribe is contesting the November 25 elections as a Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) candidate for the Dungarpur constituency.
This is a novel concept for Rajasthan, as government doctors had to take voluntary retirement from service before taking part in elections.But Ghogra has been granted permission by the Jodhpur bench of the Rajasthanhigh court to run for office, with the comforting cushion that even if he loses, he can still retain his job as a government healthcare professional.
Before filing his nomination, Dr Ghogra had filed a writ petition. “The HC ordered that even if I lose, I can rejoin the post of medical officer,” he said Wednesday.
His campaign is unique in that he is using his stethoscope as a symbol of his commitment to the community. “I want the people in this tribal area to be educated, have a healthy life, and ample opportunities for employment, but I have an agenda of saving jungles as without jungles and nature, the existence of tribes is difficult,” said Ghogra, walking around with a stethoscope around his neck.
Ghogra is a household name in Dungarpur, a constituency reserved for scheduled tribes. He graduated from RNT Medical College in Udaipur and has been working at the Dungarpur hospital for over 10 years.
He has handled over 20,000 deliveries and is also known for his work with children, having distributed over 20,000 boxes with pencils, erasers, and sharpeners in rural government schools — earning him the nickname, “Box-man”.
“I sought a ticket from BTP as the party is quite popular here. Being a doctor, I wanted to join politics as this is the area where we need educated people. Doctors work as social workers too,” Ghogra said. He is the founder of a “Save the Jungle” campaign in Dungarpur, and a member of the Dungarpur Adivasi Sanskritik Manch, which works to promote tribal culture.
This is a novel concept for Rajasthan, as government doctors had to take voluntary retirement from service before taking part in elections.But Ghogra has been granted permission by the Jodhpur bench of the Rajasthanhigh court to run for office, with the comforting cushion that even if he loses, he can still retain his job as a government healthcare professional.
Before filing his nomination, Dr Ghogra had filed a writ petition. “The HC ordered that even if I lose, I can rejoin the post of medical officer,” he said Wednesday.
His campaign is unique in that he is using his stethoscope as a symbol of his commitment to the community. “I want the people in this tribal area to be educated, have a healthy life, and ample opportunities for employment, but I have an agenda of saving jungles as without jungles and nature, the existence of tribes is difficult,” said Ghogra, walking around with a stethoscope around his neck.
Ghogra is a household name in Dungarpur, a constituency reserved for scheduled tribes. He graduated from RNT Medical College in Udaipur and has been working at the Dungarpur hospital for over 10 years.
He has handled over 20,000 deliveries and is also known for his work with children, having distributed over 20,000 boxes with pencils, erasers, and sharpeners in rural government schools — earning him the nickname, “Box-man”.
“I sought a ticket from BTP as the party is quite popular here. Being a doctor, I wanted to join politics as this is the area where we need educated people. Doctors work as social workers too,” Ghogra said. He is the founder of a “Save the Jungle” campaign in Dungarpur, and a member of the Dungarpur Adivasi Sanskritik Manch, which works to promote tribal culture.
#Rajasthan #High #Court #Rajasthan #government #doctor #run #polls #rejoin #job #loses
