Among the better debates on the reservation issue on television have been the ones that Karan Thapar has been having with pro- and anti-quota students.
Last night, on 'India Tonight' (CNBC-TV18, 10.30 pm), Thapar was playing inquisitor with two pro-quota anti-quota students, a boy and a girl. He asked why the striking medicos want the government to assure them that it will appoint a judicial committee to probe how reservations have worked on "stamp paper".
Because, said the girl with all honesty, all their experiences with the UPA government's ministers so far have been very murky, designed to fool them into calling off their stir.
"Even the prime minister's assurance of an increase in the number of colleges and seats, so that general category students would not be affected, was given to us on a plain A4 sheet of paper. There was no seal of any ministry or department. There was no signature of any minister or official. In other words, it wasn't even on a government letterhead. That's why."
If this is the kind of subterfuge the government can resort to with the urban educated, who have legal advisors backing them and who operate in the full glare of the media, how must our politicians and bureaucrats be dealing with the rural illiterate who can't read or write or understand but whose cause they claim to champion?
Can we really trust our government any longer? Should we?
Your article says “pro-quota”… I watched the show yesterday they were definitely “anti-quota”.
On the issue of trust, the answer is no. The two students on the show talked about an “assurance” letter given to them on a plain piece of paper. No Letterhead or Signature. The govt thinks these kids are fools. They are not.
On the other hand, why should the government commit anything in writing to a bunch of protestors? I would say, it is a wise move by the government – give them a piece of paper if that is what placates them without sacrificing the dignity of the government.
C’mon guys! Does this government have any dignity? Then, why give writing in a piece of paper which can be used for toilet purposes? Mohan, I think, if a government is not committed to its citizens and cannot give assurances which can be fulfilled, then that government better resign and get out. We have been living in an illusion world created by our Politicians begging for votes.
I am with the anti-quota students in their stir and support their resentment towards the government particularly with the attitude of the ruling party MPs and their allies.
Apologies. Yes, the students were anti-quota, as should have been obvious by what they were describing. That’s why we need an “Oversight Committee”!!
I dont know ( i am deviating from the above debate howerver), but why government is crying for quota and reservation. I dont find any need of such thrash. Why dont we understand that these huha are against our interest and serves the interst of politicians. When will we get rid of votebank politics.
HRD Minsiter has played his trump card saying that the PM was in very much know of the quota issue and it is obvious it had his blessing. In fact, he has publicly declared that quota will stay. He grossly underestimated the strenght of conviction of the students. Appointing ‘oversight committe’ falls into the familiar pattern and by now everybody knows what has happened to therecommendations of the various commisions ofinquiry set up. The real culprits have never been brouht to book. It all matter of credibility and youth of the country have realised that they can not trust any assurance of the govt. With SC’s threat of contempt of court hanging, railway and army doctors being deployed nobody knows how this will play out in the end
We can not trust the govt which we ourselves have selected what an irony. Iam with the anti quota students. Where is the point of quality in education if we keep on increasing everything except the salaries of teachers. Idon’t think that increase in seats will really help in this issue. When we are in a competitive world we should produce really quality graduates not quantity graduates our govt should know this as early as possible.
An ‘oversight Committee’ will miss salient points by oversight, will lose sight of the most elementary details and will finally misplace their Report – which the Govt., without the least idea of what it contained will ‘implemnt’ the same hoodwinking the students, public and will get caught when it goes for approval of the President!
My own opinion is that even though a committee has been appointed, its terms of reference are not broad enough to examine all aspects. I am not sure that all the points the students demanded would be debated by the committee.
As for trusting the government, it could hardly be expected to give assurances on stamp paper or on its letter head given the position it has taken.
This is really quite shocking. Just what is the government trying to hide or what is it trying to wriggle away from? The reservation is a monumental move. What this kind of sleight of hand demonstrates, as indeed Arjun Singh’s disastrous interview with Karan Thapar, is that the UPA government was rushed into the decision without any preparation. Having been handed a fait accompli, it is just trying to fool the country, starting with the young doctors. Just goes to show how much the benign, gentlemanly face of Manmohan Singh is being misused in the corridors of power. Or is he a party to it too?
I hope he is a party to it – after all this reservation move is not something sprung up by Arjun Singh on a whim. It was there as part of Congress party’s manifesto. I sure hope Manmohan Singh, as a member of the CWC and leader of the parliamentary party, has atleast read the party’s manifesto.
That’s what I don’t understand about this anti-reservation rhetoric in the media. Here is something that was there in the manifesto, the party won the election on that manifesto, gets a constitution amendment bill passed in the parliament and is now trying to implement what is both a moral and constitutional obligation. There can’t be anything more democratic than that.
NO. We can’t trust the current government. If every decision is left onto them then soon this country will go to the dogs. These people (politicians) have scant regard for the country, they are sycophants and do everything for getting ‘vote bank’. They divide the country on caste , can’t create enough infrastructure for people to get primary education and talk of reservation in the elite institutions. If people from top institutes are admitted through quote than the future of the country will be bleak as it will further increase brain drain. Today’s youth want equal opportunity. Create a common ground for everyone to compete. If you want to take the country forward then adobt rational thinking and not demagogue.