Maulana Azad Medical College Apologises After ‘Alcoholic’ Sudama-Krishna Reunion Act

A video from a recent cultural festival held at a premier medical college in New Delhi has triggered outrage on social media for its mockery of revered Hindu figures. The anger has prompted the management to issue an apology from the public and bar the student group from further performances at the premises 

The video is from Maulana Azad Medical College. It shows some students dancing on a popular bhakti song, “Arey Dwarpalon, Kanhaiya se keh do, dar pe Sudama gareeb aa gaya hai…” (O gatekeepers, tell Krishna that his poor friend Sudama is at his house to see him).

The song is about a reunion of Lord Krishna and his childhood friend Sudama from Mathura. The episode is widely revered as an epitome of true friendship.  

In the medical college’s video, as soon as the line ‘Dar pe Sudada gareeb aa gaya hai’ plays, a male student, clad in dhoti, appears on stage with a bottle of liquor in his hand. The student is shown completely drunk who cannot stand or walk properly, and goes on to put his arm around a woman. 

They shake a leg as if it’s a party at a bar, before ‘Sudama’ takes a round of the stage and leaves. 

Laughter can be heard from the audience in the video, which can be watched here.

It is pertinent to mention here that Sudama, as described in various Indian texts, was a poor Brahmin man who lived on alms. After his visit to Dwarka, his vows come to an end as Krishna showers him with gifts.

After the video was circulated on social media and triggered anger, the Resident Doctors Association of the college issued an apology, saying that the act was indeed disrespectful.

“We wish to clarify that the said incident happened on the evening of 27th September 2022, during a satirical comedy event as part of the annual college fest. The college festival, Synapse, was a 4-day event organised by Residents Doctors Association and Azad Medicos Association, as a joint venture. Given the competitive nature of the event, the script for the same was undisclosed, and was against the rules and regulations of the organising committee,” said the letter dated 10 October.

“The act depicted in the video was demeaning and unethical, the cultural society performing it (called mahaul makers) was unconditionally banned and disqualified from any future activities in the campus. A written apology was also requisitioned and furnished,” the letter added.

The letter further said that the institute had been providing services for the past 62 years, and valued Secularism and it's their core value.

The press note is available on various accounts on Twitter but the account of Resident Doctors Association of the college had protected its tweets at the time of publishing its report. This means that no activity of theirs is visible to any user.