Pondicherry: General Secretary of the Dalit Panthers of India (DPI) Thol Thirumavalavan said reservation for other backward classes (OBCs) in higher educational institutions was a step towards honour the recommendation of the Mandal Commission report seeking social justice. Those opposing the reservation were challenging the principles of natural and social justice. Participating in a pro-reservation demonstration organised by the Pondicherry unit of the DPI at the centrally administered JIPMER here on Tuesday, he said it was necessary for the Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes to join together the struggle for procuring the twenty seven per cent reservation for OBCs. He furnished statistics to show how injustice had been meted out to the underprivileged either in admission or jobs in higher educational institutions. He said none could deny reservation for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes, as the reservation was a constitutionally guaranteed facility. The private sector has a big chunk of employment opportunities; but there was no reservation in this sector, he .stressed. He said reservation was not alms but a birthright; it was not a concession but a social justice. Those addressing the demonstrators included Ravikumar, MLA, and functionaries of the DPI - Mr R.Vanangamudi and Mr Amudhavanan.

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