The Hindu : National : Call off agitation, CPI tells striking medicos

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 29, 2006

National

National

Call off agitation, CPI tells striking medicos

Special Correspondent

Says continuation will mean doing away with reservation

NEW DELHI : The Communist Party of India on Sunday appealed to medicos to call of their agitation stating that continuation would only mean that the aim is to do away with reservation.

"This aim goes against the entire constitutional provisions clearly laid down by our founding fathers. This is what certain corporate interests and private sector pursue, and the students cannot lend themselves as tools in this larger game," the party central secretariat said in a statement.

It was sure that the agitating student would see through this game of vested interests. "Let us all work for equality and equal opportunities for higher education, which the `Youth for Equality' must aspire for."

Welcoming the steps taken by the Government to increase the number of seats in all medical colleges in the country, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the party said that the contemplated increase would be accompanied by other consequential facilities such as increasing paramedical staff, faculties and infrastructure.

No shrinking

This would ensure that while 27 per cent seats would be reserved for the Other Backward Classes, as decided by the meeting of the United Progressive Alliance Coordination Committee and Left parties, there would be no shrinking of opportunities for others.

Interest will be safeguarded

By the time the implementation of reservation starts from the next academic year, June 2007, these steps were to be carried out. This, the statement said, would safeguard the interests of all sections. As committed by the UPA-Left meeting, there would be no dearth of financial resources or lack of energy to see that all this is done.

"There is no question of implementing reservation in phases as interpreted by some," the statement said.

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