The Hindu : New Delhi News : V.P. Singh felicitated on Reservation Day

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 09, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

V.P. Singh felicitated on Reservation Day

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister V.P. Singh on Monday called upon the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre to provide jobs in private sector to Dalits, Other Backward Classes and Muslims.

Mr. Singh, who was being felicitated for implementing the recommendations of the Mandal Commission at a Reservation Day function at Talkatora Stadium, said humiliation suffered by the Dalits and Other Backward Classes for centuries was worse than death. "A person who suffers from humiliation dies a hundred deaths. In the United States, there is discrimination against the minority Blacks and Hispanics. Ironically, in India it is the minority that is suppressing the majority. For centuries, the Dalits and Other Backward Classes have been brainwashed that they were to be blamed on account of their bad karma in their previous births."

Indian Justice Party president Udit Raj, who organised the function, said the recommendations of the Oversight Committee on reservation, headed by Veerapa Moily, must be rejected as it favoured implementation of OBC quotas in phases. "Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh is clear that there is no paucity of funds for implementation of 27 per cent OBC reservation in one go. Then what is the problem," asked Mr. Raj.

Former Union Minister C.M. Ibrahim said, after Mahatma Gandhi and Jayaprakash Narain, the country has produced V.P. Singh.

"History will remember Mr. Singh and his achievements. We want reservation in medical institutions, engineering colleges and Parliament."

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