Reserved About Reservations?: An Insider's Perspective.

The great Indian Reservation debate continues, meanwhile student protests are gaining in momentum across the country. Here's a guest post by Mr. Johan Jose, giving you an insider's perspective on the debate.

Read on.

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Reserved About Reservations?: An Insider's Perspective.
By Johan Jose
Published: May 10, 2006

Ipshita Parida is an intern at the Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) and associated hospitals in Delhi. In her four and a half undergraduate years she has held office as an elected representative of the college students union, has been involved with a lot of high profile agitations in the capital and is currently the intern representative at LHMC. She is here speaking on behalf of Youth for Equality, a movement that commenced in New Delhi against the proposed extended reservations. She is also a friend of the interviewer.

Could you introduce yourself to the people who will be reading this interview?
Sure. My name is Ipshita Parida and I'm an intern at Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi.

I believe you associate yourself with something called Youth for Equality?
I associate myself with a number of other protesting medical students who have cumulatively come up with a forum called the Youth For Equality (YFE).

What exactly is Youth for Equality about?
I am taking the liberty to presume that most of you are aware about the current stand on reservations and the proposed bill in the Parliament by the Human Resources Development Minister Mr Arjun Singh, which increases the total number of reservations including those for OBCs and other reserved categories in educational institutes to 49.5 pc.

I think we have a fair idea.. go on.
Youth for Equality is a forum created by representatives and students from the 5 medical colleges in the capital and a host of other colleges splattered all over the country, who believe that such a bill is discriminatory, regressive, cripples merit and is completely opposed to the principles of equality and democracy.

Who is heading YFE?
No one heads YFE because it's not a body, it's a forum, and more like a banner that covers all voices of dissent.

So when was YFE born and how did it evolve to become what it has?
YFE started post the announcement in the papers about the now famous or infamous bill. It started small with some founder members that made their cause known through posts on our notice boards. It really did start small, just a small voice by some passionate people who had the courage to fight for what is right but then gradually it gained momentum and strength.

What were the first signs of action on your part?
We observed a black badge day on the 17th of April in colleges and hospitals and had a couple of meets before the episode on the 26th of April, which made the news. About 300 students had decided to protest peacefully in front of the HRD Minister's residence, however what actually transpired was essentially baffling given this is 21st century India.

Why, what happened?
It soon turned into a shocking lapse in the democratic face of this country that totes free speech and liberal thought. We were lathi charged, tear-gassed, mobbed and barricaded. They even soaked us to the skin with water cannons. Talk about washing down the issue!

Where was the Minister while this crackdown was taking ...
The rest of the interview can be found here