Kerala - Kozhikode   

Basheer blames Government's attitude

Special Correspondent

`It should have effectively challenged managements' plea in apex court'

KOZHIKODE: E.T. Mohammed Basheer, former Minister for Education and Indian Union Muslim League leader, on Tuesday blamed what in his opinion was an "impractical and negative attitude" of the Left Democratic Front Government towards issues related to admission to professional courses for an "adverse" interim order from the Kerala High Court on the issue.

Reacting to the interim order, Mr. Basheer said what the United Democratic Front (UDF) had wanted was Government fee in half the seats and management fee in the rest.

`Mismanagement'

He said "mismanagement" of the legal side of the issues began with the Government's failure to effectively challenge the petition of professional college managements in the Supreme Court to obtain an interim order in their favour on the admission process. The Government had failed to argue its case effectively.

Mr. Basheer recalled that the UDF MLAs had warned of the several adverse effects that the new law would trigger.

Yet the LDF Government, contrary to conventions, had made some fundamental changes in the Bill even after it was scanned by the Assembly subject committee. These pertained to "privilege seats" and "minority status."

He said the LDF Government had not bothered to consult either the Opposition parties or students' organisations.

"Instead of evolving a consensus by engaging in a dialogue with all concerned, the Government chose to hastily enact a law and used language of threat and confrontation. This was certainly against academic and social interests. Now, it had to pay a price for the unilateral action," he said.

Mr. Basheer was of the view that the fate of online registration for admission done by students had also become uncertain in the light of the order.

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