The Hindu : Karnataka News : Moily favours reservation in private sector

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 14, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Moily favours reservation in private sector

By Our Special Correspondent

The former Chief Minister M. Veerappa Moily (left) releasing three books to mark Periyar's 126th birth anniversary, in Bangalore on Wednesday. B.T. Lalita Nayak, former Minister, and Veerabhadra Chennamalla Swamiji of Nidumamidi Math are seen. 1; Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE, OCT. 13. The former Chief Minister, M. Veerappa Moily, today favoured reservation for jobs in the private sector to ensure equal opportunities for disadvantaged social groups such as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Speaking on the topic "Reservation in the private sector" at a function to mark the 126th birth anniversary of E.V. Ramaswamy Naikar (Periyar) here, Mr. Moily said a section of the industrialists was opposing the United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) move to introduce reservation in the private sector on the ground that it would kill competition and efficiency in the production of goods and services.

U.S. experience

The country should learn from the U.S. experience in the reservation policy, he said. The former President, the late John F. Kennedy, introduced affirmative action in the U.S. in 1961 following which a number of African-Americans were heading private firms in the US. While affirmative action was a success in the U.S., why was the Indian corporate sector opposing it, he sought to know.

Sri Veerabhadra Chennamalla Swamiji of Nidumamidi Math, who presided over the function, recalled that E.V. Ramaswamy, the leader of the Dravidian Movement, had also started the "self-respect movement." Periyar asserted that self-respect was the birth right of all human beings, he said. Periyar fought against exploitation of people based on caste. For him, self-respect was the norm to guide all social, political and economic activities, he said..

B.T. Lalita Naik, former Minister, regretted the "poor representation" for women in Parliament.

K.S. Bhagwan, writer, said lack of unity among the Dalit groups was one of the major reasons for their exploitation Three books Dalits vs. Hindus, Woes of Shudras and Manusmriti were released.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section