‘Govt won’t impose, we want voluntary action’

Kumar said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has formed a GoM for the purpose. ‘‘After the meeting of the group of ministers on affirmative action in the private sector, a letter was sent to 218 industry and trade organisations and some of them have responded while the response of others is awaited,’’ she said.

After the response is known, Kumar said, the Government would hold discussions with all political parties to elicit their views on the matter and also meet NGOs and other groups before reservation of jobs for SC/STs in the private sector is implemented.

That it was a tight-rope walk for the UPA, which is committed to employment generation in its CMP, was evident. Kumar, repeatedly emphasised that it is ‘‘affirmative action’’ and consensus, not reservation the Government was asking of the private sector.

She said: ‘‘If a quarter of the population suffers from low self-esteem…it does not help the country to develop.’’

However, the message to the industry was quite clear: ‘‘When the private sector needed to grow, the Government helped. It is now the turn of the private sector to come forward and offer what they can. We want them to do it voluntarily.’’ Calling it a ‘‘creation of an atmosphere without prejudice’’, Kumar argued against the question of ‘merit’ raised by a part of the private industry.

Cutting across party lines all members supported the private members resolution brought by RPI’s R.S. Gavai.

Constitutional expert Fali S. Nariman said it could not stand legal scrutiny. ‘‘If it is not (made) part of the Fundamental Rights, our good intentions … have no meaning,’’ he said.