Quota row: SC issues ultimatum to students

Quota row: SC issues ultimatum to students

Manu Sharma, Mohuya Chaudhri, Aradhana Sharma Watch story Tuesday, May 30, 2006 (New Delhi): The striking doctors have been asked by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President A P J Abdul Kalam to end the strike against reservations. And now, the Supreme Court has issued a virtual order, saying medical students must call off their strike or face contempt charges. But so far, the striking students have remained defiant. The government too was asked to submit a memorandum about the status of the strike. In a strongly worded direction, the court said: "In view of the fact that issues related to reservation for OBCs by the court, agitations, protests, and strikes relating to those issues should be immediately called off more particularly in greater public interest," added the apex court. The agitating doctors are now seeking legal opinion in the wake of the apex court's observations. But clearly, time is running out for the medical students. They have just few hours before the Supreme Court comes down heavily on them and the government begins looking for their replacements. Fresh recruits Following a meeting with the Prime Minister, Union Health Minister A Ramadoss announced that the government's priority is now going to be to restore health services at the earliest. New recruits and retired army doctors will be hired from Wednesday to work in the affected hospitals. He also said that the PM was disappointed that the striking doctors had ignored his appeal. "We have appealed enough to the students. PM is disheartened that services have not been restored till now," A Ramadoss, Union Health Minister. NDTV has also learnt that the President has asked the Prime Minister to keep the well-to-do or creamy layer amongst the OBCs out of the quotas. At a meeting last week, President Kalam also said that seats must be increased in higher education institutions. The Oversight Committee set up by the Prime Minister to look at the reservation roadmap also met on Tuesday evening. At the meeting, Finance Secretary Adarsh Kishore said money will not be a problem for increasing seats. Congress President Sonia Gandhi is also believed to have conveyed that the crisis must be resolved soon. Widespread protests Notwithstanding the court's directive, protests continued across the country on the quota issue. In Gujarat, the Ahmedabad Medical Association took out an anti-quota rally. About 5000 private clinics, dispensaries and hospitals also remained closed. The Indian Dental Association held demonstrations in Ahmedabad as well, with over 400 doctors in four municipal corporations on strike. In Chandigarh, traders, doctors and chemists observed a protest shutdown and doctors reportedly set fire to their MBBS degrees in protest.