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Both the ruling Left Front and its major constituent CPM are split in their ranks over the implementation of the Ranganath Mishra Commissions recommendations,which call for reservations for the minority communities.
While the Left Front allies and a section of CPM leaders want the state government to take initiative to announce reservations for Muslims in the next Assembly session,others say it will need an amendment in the Constitution. Besides the Forward Bloc and the CPI,the minority cell of the CPM has also backed reservations for Muslims. Blocs state secretary Ashok Ghosh and CPIs state secretary Manjukumar Majumdar have already sent a note to their CPM counterpart Biman Bose,demanding a discussion in the Left Front to expedite the reservation process.
Speaker Hasim abdul Halim,also a CPM state committee member,however,pointed out it is not possible for the government to declare a whole community as backward class. He too was of the view that the government cannot provide reservation for a community on the basis of religion unless the Constitution was amended. The Ranganath Mishra Commission report was placed before Parliament and the Centre is yet to table the action taken report. I think the state has nothing to do with the recommendations. It is for the Centre to take initiative, said Halim.
CPM sources said the issue will be discussed in the partys central committee meeting scheduled in the first week of February. Meanwhile,in a late night development,the CM agreed to discuss the issue with his Left Front allies.
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