The Hindu : Front Page : Krishna Madiga calls off hunger strike

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
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Krishna Madiga calls off hunger strike

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Manda Krishna Madiga, president of Madiga Reservation Porata Samthi (MRPS), called off his six-day old hunger strike after persuasion by a delegation of political leaders led by Minister for Social Welfare P. Subash Chandra Bose for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.

Even as sporadic incidents of bus-burning by MRPS activists continued in the State, an all-party delegation that included BJP State president Bandaru Dattatreya and CPI floor leader in the Assembly Ch. Venkata Reddy visited Mr. Krishna's house at Warasiguda and renewed their plea to end the indefinite fast. Mr. Krishna obliged by sipping a glass of lime juice.

Mr. Venkata Reddy and TRS MLA A. Chandrasekhar announced later that in line with the assurance given to the fasting Madiga leader, an all-party delegation would visit New Delhi next week to request the Prime Minister to prevail upon the Commission on classification of Scheduled Castes to submit its report at the earliest and also introduce a Bill in Parliament as a follow-up.

A flurry of activity preceded the delegation's visit to Mr Krishna'a house. Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy convened yet another emergency meeting of political parties to impress upon them the urgency of Mr. Krishna ending his fast.

Letter to Meira Kumar

He circulated copies of a letter written by him to Union Minister for Social Justice Meira Kumar seeking a three-month deadline for submission of the report by the commission. The delegation handed over a copy to Mr. Krishna.

Opposition leaders held discussions among themselves in the Social Welfare Minister's office, before proceeding to Warasiguda.

Mr. Krishna later said he had called off the indefinite hunger strike in view of the Chief Minister's assurance that he would have the report of the commission on categorisation of SCs submitted in three months.

These assurances, if fulfilled, would save the academic year for the community.

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