The Hindu : Front Page : DPA members submit memorandum to Manmohan on reservation issue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 18, 2005

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DPA members submit memorandum to Manmohan on reservation issue

J. Venkatesan

They describe the Supreme Court ruling as a direct blow to social justice "... the present ruling by the Supreme Court will only be a stumbling block to the efforts of the government."

NEW DELHI: Members of Parliament belonging to the Democratic Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday presented a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding a Central legislation to provide reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Most Backward Classes in unaided higher educational institutions.

The MPs belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Congress, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Pattali Makkal Katchi, the Community Party of India (M), the CPI and the Indian Union Muslim League brought to the notice of the Prime Minister the burning issue that erupted following the Supreme Court ruling abolishing government quotas and reservation in unaided professional educational institutions.

According to sources, the Prime Minister assured the delegation that the issue would be discussed in the Cabinet at the earliest and the Government would take a decision.

The memorandum said: "While the government aims at the laudable objective of providing higher education to the disadvantaged sections like the SCs, STs and OBCs, the present ruling by the Supreme Court will only be a stumbling block to the efforts of the government."

Describing the ruling as a direct blow to social justice, it said "social justice is a policy which had come into force after many years of consistent struggle by great leaders in the country. Any setback in social justice would only put the entire country in jeopardy."

The memorandum said the order would only make Article 15 (4) of the Constitution (which provides for making special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward class of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) ineffective.

It said that middle-income groups, SCs/STs and OBCs would be deprived of opportunities for higher education.

The memorandum recalled a letter written by DMK president M. Karunanidhi to the Prime Minister urging the Centre to take steps for the removal of the creamy layer criterion from the purview of reservation; to extend the benefit of reservation to the OBCs in educational institutions controlled/financed/aided by the Government of India; constitution of a separate Parliamentary committee for OBCs and to empower the State governments to decide the percentage of reservation to the SC/STs, BCs and MBCs based on the size of the population.

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