Some good out of evil

Some good out of evil

Strikers need to shed ages old prejudices

THE way the anti-reservationist medicos have held the weak and the sick of the country to ransom for over a fortnight is, indeed, a fine example of the collective evil intention of the privileged. They have thrown a challenge at the face of our government's declared social policy aiming at bridging the deep and wide gaps among different social groups and have brought untold misery to the poor in need of medical help.
However, from the centre's latest response to their demands, it seems that some good is going to emerge out of the mess the HRD Ministry and the medicos have, so far, jointly created.
While the centre, as expected, have expressed their determination to implement their declared policy of reservation from the year 2007, they have also announced a slew of sops to persuade the medicos to go back to their duty and class-rooms. Earlier the centre had declared that six new AIIMS would be set up in different parts of India within the coming three years. Now, they say that the entire process will be speeded up to complete the job within a year and a half, where necessary by hiring private buildings for that purpose. The present AIIMS in Delhi has agreed to raise their annual intake from 50 to 90, with effect from the coming session. All the medical teaching institutions around the country under central control have been asked to double their annual intake for the MBBS course and to raise the seats for MD/MS etc. by 25 to 30%. The total number of new seats around the country thus created will come to 2600 -- a hefty figure, no doubt. The strikers have also been assured in writing that there would be no reduction in seats in the general category.
So, they now have no justification to be on strike unless they are really opposed to many more seats being created for the OBC candidates. Nor have they covered themselves with laurels by rejecting the aforesaid offers assured by the centre. They have, in the meantime, mobilised their forces by persuading the students of JNU and IITs to join them in their hunger-strike.
The unjustified self-immolation bid by a couple of strikers has further emotionalised the controversy, while one Delhi-based advocate has further complicated the issue by filing a PIL with the Delhi High Court challenging the centre's decision. Seeing the countrywide support the upper castes have successfully mobilised, in the name of merit and the media-hype they are enjoying, the BJP too now is secretly changing their course.
Not daring to oppose reservations for the OBC they have accused the centre of adopting a divisive policy and have now asked for a competent committee to go into the entire question of caste-based reservation. So, despite the best possible response, at this stage, by the centre the issue is getting murkier and more insoluble with each passing day.
However, although nothing can be said in support of those united to protect their privileges, the HRD Ministry too cannot be condoned for having, almost thoughtlessly, messed up the entire issue and switched on the countrywide conflagration. We know that institutions of higher learning, especially those related to science, engineering and medicine, cannot be created overnight out of thin air.
Such slap-dash decisions and their implementation are sure to convert the so-called higher studies in the new institutions into a big joke. So, why did not the HRD Ministry assess the possible reaction of the nation to their hastily-announced decision. They should have made a realistic appraisal of the likely response of the upper caste young men and women and announced simultaneous increase in the number of general category seats, if not at one go but by stages.

India needs more qualified doctors and engineers. So, one may legitimately question, why have not the HRD Ministry increased the seats in AIIMS and other medical institutions, IITs and IIMs before the present crisis broke out? Why did they not act on time instead of reacting to the agitators' demand? Even now there is strong justification for being skeptical about their official assurance.

The very slow progress with the proposed centres of higher scientific studies at Pune and Kolkata and with another IIM at Shillong makes any normal person doubt both the intention and the ability of the centre to set-up any thing worthwhile with alacrity. However, now that the centre has come out with their best possible offer, it is high time that the strikers resume their duties, instead of holding the nation to ransom for perpetuating their age-old privileges.