Quota protesters attempt self immolation

NEWS ALERT! NEWS ALERT! NEWS ALERT!

New Delhi/ Bhubaneswar: A man tried to set himself on fire during a rally organised by medical students and doctors against the government's reservation policy in Delhi on Saturday evening.

Rishi, 23, from East Delhi was immediately rushed to Lok Nayak Jaiprakash hospital after he tried to set himself afire at the Ramlila grounds. No immediate details about him were known.

Rishi received burn injuries on the hand and the chest and was admitted to Lok Nayak Jayprakash Narain Hospital.

When asked which college he belonged to, Rishi said, "I am not a student. I am working."

A self-immolation attempt was reported from Cuttack, Orissa, but police are still investigating whether it was related to the reservation controversy.

Surendra Mohanty, a Doctor, Post Graduate student of SCB Medical College, is in the ICU after he tried to set himself on fire.

Mohanty's friends claim he was protesting against the Government’s policy but police said there could be a personal reason behind the incident.

CNN-IBN

Wallajah Road Protests near the Government Guest House on 25.05.2006

Today's protest was attended by over 200 people, Considering Engineering colleges were having semester exams and that it was raining from 2-4 It was a pretty good show.
Representatives from the following colleges attended the protest apart from some Professors, Parents and Software professionals (The list is not extensive though...)

• Alpha College of Arts and Science
• Ambedkar Law College
• Anna University
• Chengelpet Medical College
• Ethiraj College
• Hindustan Engineering College
• IIT, Chennai
• JIPMER, Pondicherry
  
• KC College of Engineering
• Kilpauk Medical College
• Law College, Kolkatta
  
• Loyola College
• Madras Medical College
• Madurai Medical College
• Meenakshi college for Women
• Meenakshi Dental College
• Meenakshi Engineering College
• MOP Vaishnav College
• National Law School of Excellence
• PSG Medical College, Coimbatore
  
• PSG Tech, Coimbatore
• Saveetha Dental College
• Stanley Medical College
• Stella Maris College
• Sri Ramachanda Medical College
  
• SRM Engineering College
• SSN Engineering College
  
• Venkateshwara College of Engineering
• Vellore Institute of Technology

• National Public School, Gopalapuram
• Holy Angels, T.Nagar
  

Wallajah Road Protest 25-05-2006 - The March

College Students...

Professors...

Working people...
 

Wallajah Road Protest 25-05-2006 - The object of our ire!

The effigy was wet.....

The crowd ripped apart pictures of Arjun Singh!
 

Wallajah Road Protest 25-05-2006 - The Crowd

The rain washed away the writing on most of our banners!

Pretty good show up considering it rained
 

Things to remember for the Protest

• Assemble at the the Government Guest House, Wallajah Road by 3.30 p.m on Thursday the 25th . No transport is being arranged for.
  

• Once at the venue, kindly sit in an organised fashion. Make an array of rows and columns.

• Dress code: Wear anything white. A white shirt/t-shirt/chudidar would be appropriate. White will be symbolising peace. Wear a black strip of ribbon. You can pin it to the shirt, or tie it around your arms, or take a black tape and stick it somewhere. This small amount of black will symbolise protest.
  

• Chennai is a peaceful city, We're having a peaceful protest. We're not doing anything against the spirit of the city. We're exercising our right to protest against the government in this democracy. We're not putting our fellow Chennaiites to hardship.
  

• Do not bring any dangerous materials or sharp objects to the venue.

• Bring your own placcards if necessary. BUT please adhere to the guidelines provided below.
  

Silent Sit-in protest plannned in Chennai on 25th of May

THEME: ANTI-RESERVATION, MERIT BASED SYSTEM

DATE : 25th MAY 2006 Thursday

TIME : 4-6 PM

PLACE: Government Guest House, Wallajah Road.

SILENT SIT-IN PROTEST WITH PLACARDS

Permission has been granted by the police.

Participants include IITians, Medicos and working people.

All are Welcome. Let us show what we feel to the government.

Our Policy

When the makers of our constitution conceived the idea of reservation on the basis of caste, there was only one objective – to empower that section of society which had been exploited over many hundreds of years. Members of this section of society had been socially deprived for ages and were economically weak. Thus came the idea of empowerment and it is true that such a policy has been beneficial to many in the Indian population, yet it has not fully served the purpose it was meant to.

The picture today, however, is different. It must be realised that today the socially deprived are those who are economically weak, irrespective of caste identity. Therefore, can caste be a ground for reservation? Should economic condition not take precedence over caste? The government therefore must first review the criteria for new reservations.

The government also shares a responsibility that is long overdue, i.e. to provide equal opportunity for education and social uplift at the grassroots, which can give one and all the same platform for further competition. Reserving seats for the socially deprived in higher education is only a bypass measure to compensate for the government’s failure in performing its primary duty. Such a measure further deepens the divide in our society. Now, are we still conscious enough to allow this division to rule over us?

A new proposal on the basis of the twenty-six year old Mandal Commission report has been made for fresh reservation in 27% seats in higher education for a certain section of the community. This is over and above the existing reservation of 22.5% seats for another section. This adds up to a total of 49.5% reserved seats. Since the bill is not entirely out in black and white, little is known about the definition of “higher education”. Considering that such a definition would also include post-graduate medical courses, the idea of empowerment is utterly defeated because graduation itself empowers the ‘have-nots’ and therefore further empowerment is unwarranted.

Thus, our first resolve is to stand up against the proposed reservations in higher education which are to be on the basis of caste.

Our second resolve (and it is as important as the first) is to request the government to review the basis for reservation which, in our opinion, should be the financial/economic condition of the family and not caste.

Our third resolve is to stress before the government the need for equal educational opportunity at the grassroots.

In this honest effort, please join us in our movement to bring about a reasonable solution to the problem.

Our Charter of Demands

Following are the demands on which YFE is negotiating with the Union Government in Delhi

CHARTER OF DEMANDS

Deferral of the proposed hike in reservation in the central universities.

AND

An Expert Commission should be formed which would explore all the avenues of affirmative actions, review the efficiency of reservations as an affirmative action (considering both its benefits and drawbacks) and compare the efficiencies of the all possible affirmative actions. Thus it should come up with a fool proof and time bound strategy to uplift and empower the backward sections of our country without interfering with the overall development and well being of our Nation.

Implementation of the proposed extended reservation policy and any other new reservation policy only after the commission has submitted its report.

A white paper on the reservation policy.

1 We view reservations as a limited step to provide opportunities for the backward sections of our country to acquire education and employment.

AND

Places in the Government jobs that are remaining vacant due to lack of eligible candidates from the reserved category should be opened for other eligible candidates immediately.

AND

No action should be taken against the agitating students, interns and resident doctors in any form as regards to service break, termination, pay deduction, legal action etc.


AND

The Hon’ble Prime Minister should give a concrete statement on the issue.



WHAT DO WE MEAN BY EXPERT COMMISSION?

It should be a non-political non-parliamentary commission with members from judicial, social sciences, educational, scientific background. It should be formed in15 days and should submit its report within 1 year’s time.

WHAT WOULD BE ITS AIMS AND OBJECTIVE?

To come up with a fool proof and time bound* strategy to uplift and empower the backward sections of our country without interfering with the overall development and well being of our Nation.

WHAT SHOULD IT DO?

1) It would explore all the avenues of affirmative actions.
2) It would assess the efficiency of the existing reservations taking into consideration both its benefits and drawbacks. #
3) It would compare the efficiency of other means of affirmative actions with that of reservations.
4) It should find ways other than affirmative actions, which would help in changing the socio-economic system, which breeds exploitation and inequality.
5) It should come up with socio-economic criteria, which would exclude the affluent and those already having access to jobs and higher education. **
6) It should fix parameters to determine the degree of upliftment and empowerment of the backward sections so that when adequate degree is achieved the Government should stop the policy of affirmative actions.
7) It should always keep in mind that the affirmative actions whatever suggested by the Commission should never interfere with the overall development and well being of our Nation.

*We want that whatever affirmative actions would be followed should have an end-point defined. Parameters should be defined after which there would be no need for affirmative actions in the same lines as they are being given till date.

**Creamy layer should be applied for all.

#While assessing the policy the Commission should take in account the current data about the population distribution.

PLEASE disregard rumors

A lot of rumours have surfaced lately regarding protesting students in Bhubaneswar dying due to police atrocities and doctors in Delhi dying of hunger. These rumours are spreading like wildfire via SMS and emails. We request citizens to verify the validity of the 'news' before they forward these messages/mails. Forwarding these unsubstantiated messages will ultimately harm the integrity of our movement.

Bring Your Own Slogans

Here are some guidelines that you could follow when you are preparing slogans.

1. No derogatory slogans on any individual/community.

2. Don't use abusive language.

3. Try making few slogans in Tamil. Avoid Hindi.

4. Look for Tamil literary sources to get lines that debunk caste system

5. Use humour being unconventional draws attention at times.

6. Never mention any section of the society always use WE even if you are going to be taking the perspective of OBCs.

7. We need not always speak what the actuality is. We can create a reality. Try to put the ideas of noble ideals

Some of the themes that could be used are:

1. Show commitment to equitable growth of the nation this is important

2. Opposing casteism, for e.g. jaadigal illayadi papa.

3. Encouraging people to stand on their own, and not expect support. This essentially translates to psychological empowerment. Things like 'We don’t need crutches'. Further, it should also be like urging everyone to strive for their own excellence, against all odds.

4. Supporting merit

5. Supporting unity of all castes not quite the same as (2) though they are similar.

6. Opposing vote-bank politics

7. Anything that brings out the lacunae in the current reservation system.

Sample slogans are available on the Yahoo Group, Chennai United

Delhi-IITians plan suicide

NEW DELHI: A group of IIT Delhi students on Sunday submitted a memorandum to President Kalam, seeking permission to commit suicide if reservation is implemented.

The students gave the memorandum to the President’s secretariat, saying they have no other option left if such legislation came into force, said Safal, a representative of the Youth For Equality.

Economic Times

Jawaharlal Nehru on Reservations

On the 27th of June 1961 Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to the Chief Ministers of the day as follows:
I dislike any kind of reservations. If we go in for any kind of reservations on communal and caste basis, we will swamp the bright and able people and remain second rate or third rate. The moment we encourage the second rate, we are lost. This way lies not only folly, but also disaster.

Press Release: Pre-Protest 22.05.2006

YOUTH FOR EQUALITY, CHENNAI

www.yfechennai.blogspot.com Email:y4echennai@gmail.com

STUDENTS OF CHENNAI JOIN THE ANTI-RESERVATION PROTEST

We the youth of India and citizens of Chennai city are distressed and deeply pained at the recent ongoing developments regarding the proposal of government of India to extend caste based reservations to OBC in institutes of higher learning and excellence

To express our solidarity with the rest of our nation and to register a strong protest we are organizing a peaceful protest gathering at

Venue: Government guest house, Wallajah road, Chennai.

Date: 25th of May, Thursday
Time: 4 pm

The gathering wishes to take up the following issues and also register a protest against

• The inability of the government of India to address the needs of students in a fair and just manner
  
• The blatant refusal of the government to go for a rethink on the policy of caste based reservations
  
• The failure of government to provide quality education in grass root centers for ages and trying to cover up its failure now by resorting to unjustified and unwarranted reservations as a remedial measure.
  
• The ploy of government to extend caste based reservations to score political points thus harboring divisions in India on caste lines, which is a deplorable act on the part of the government
  
• The unjustified police brutality against peaceful protesting students in Mumbai and Delhi which has angered all peace loving citizens of this nation.

We also take this opportunity to invite all like minded citizens of India irrespective of caste creed or religion from various sections of society to join this protest

CONTACT US OR WRITE TO US:

Website: http://yfechennai.blogspot.com/

Email: y4echennai@gmail.com

CONTACT PERSONS:

Vivek Agrawal -- 9840316677

Meenakshi Nandini -- 9841155586

Pabashi Poddar -- 9840419187