Jharkhand: After stiff opposition, RIMS administration revokes order disallowing Sarasvati Puja at institute’s premises

Ranchi: In a significant development, the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) administration on Sunday, January 26 revoked its decision to cancel ‘Sarasvati Puja’ at RIMS premises.

The decision to lift the ban on organizing the Puja this year was made hours after the management in a written order had canceled the upcoming Sarasvati Puja at RIMS campus, citing security concerns. The decision to ban the Puja at RIMS premises was believed to be stemmed from a recent altercation involving a student of the institute.

According to the reports, a student of the campus was attacked by a group of youths on Friday night January 24. The student was later admitted to the hospital owing to his injuries. The altercation reportedly occurred in the Kokar area of Ranchi.

The administration however on Saturday issued an order cancelling the Sarasvati Puja, held annually at the institute premise. The order issued by the administration cited the recent altercation between the students and some locals as the reason for the cancellation of the Puja ceremony. The order further instructed the students to return the money collected for the Puja.

The decision however triggered a massive row within RIMS students with many terming the admiration’s move to cancel the Puja unfair. The students stated that the altercation took place outside of the campus and has nothing to do with the Puja being organised at RIMS campus.

The decision to cancel the Puja further received critical responses from a few senior surgeons as well. “This has never happened in history, this is not “Puja” only but our existence, said a senior surgeon of the institute while asserting that today Sarasvati Puja has been stopped, don’t know what else will be stopped tomorrow?

The management order to cancel the program also stirred a political row with senior Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader training guns at the Congress MLA and Minister for Health and Medical Education in Jharkhand government Irfan Ansari.

जानकारी मिली है कि रिम्स प्रशासन ने रिम्स के डाक्टरों, छात्रों एवं वहाँ के जनभावना का सम्मान करते हुए सरस्वती पूजा का आयोजन नहीं करने देने का अपना तुगलकी आदेश अब वापस ले लिया है।अब वहाँ पहले से चली आ रही परम्परा का निर्वहन करते हुए विधिवत सरस्वती पूजा का आयोजन होगा।
शासन का यह… https://t.co/awOzdMMis7

— Babulal Marandi (@yourBabulal) January 26, 2025

However, after the administration decided to roll back its order disallowing the Sarasvati Puja on Sunday, the BJP leader welcomed the move. “It has been learnt that the RIMS administration, respecting the sentiments of the doctors, students and the people of RIMS has now withdrawn its arbitrary order of not allowing the Saraswati Puja to be organised”, said Marandi in a post on social media platform X.

“Now the Sarasvati Puja will be organised properly as per the tradition that has been going on there. The step taken by the government is worth welcoming,” he added.