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Journalism of Courage
Out in the cold over the quota controversy, Human Resource Development HRD Minister Arjun Singh today had a friendly visitor 8212; Left leader Sitaram Yechury.
Yechury, sources said, met him for about half-an-hour, when he was understood to have impressed upon the minister that the OBC quota Bill needed to be introduced in the forthcoming Monsoon session.
Yechury also place d the party8217;s view before Singh on the implementation of the OBC quota. It8217;s learnt that the politburo member said CPIM was not in favour of implementing the OBC quotas in phases, rather it should be implemented in one go.
This is again contrary to what Moily had suggested in the same note, where he had proposed for a staggered approach 8212; IITs, IIMs and AIIMS by 2007-08, Central universities and institutions by 2008-09 and Deemed universities and private institutions by 2009-10. This was, however, opposed by Planning Commission member B. Mungekar.
Mungekar8217;s view was echoed by the Left leader, when he too pushed for implementation of 27 pc OBC quotas by 2007-08.
Yechury, sources said, also focussed on the expansion of facilities in these institutions, 8216;8216;without any delay8217;8217;. He is believed to have told Singh that the government should start the process of building infrastructure immediately.
He also cited the example of Andhra Pradesh Government, which has already committed financial support for upgradation of infrastructure facilities in the academic institutions in the state. 8216;8216;Just as the Andhra Government has taken up this matter, the Centre should also come up with a pro-active approach towards building infrastructure,8217;8217; he is believed to have told Singh.
Yechury had always been vocal about his unstinted support, on the reservation issue, to Arjun Singh. In a seminar organised by Left cultural outfit Sahmat, he had backed the HRD Minister and had come heavily against the National Knowledge Commission and its chairman Sam Pitroda for opposing the OBC reservation move.
In fact, the Left leader and his colleagues in the Red brigade like A.B. Bardhan, backed by leaders of the so-called social justice parties like Lalu Prasad Yadav, had pushed for the OBC quota move during the crucial UPA-Left coordination panel meeting in May this year. Despite stiff opposition and agitation from the medical students, they had managed to get Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to put their stamp of approval to the quota move.
