Pro and anti-reservation medicos from Gujarat meet PM, but permanent solution still evades

Six members of the anti-reservation team led by Mangesh Vaishnav, 25, the handsome president of Gujarat's Anti-Reservation Committee, were in high spirits when they marched up the steps of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's parliamentary office.They wore a tough look in the wake of the massive response their three-month-old agitation had evoked in Gujarat. They had been prodded by Jaisukh Lal Hathi, governor of Punjab and the prime minister's emissary for Gujarat to fly down to Delhi to hammer out a negotiated settlement for the thorny issue which had taken the lives of over 40 people. But the leaders of the medicos were feeling low when they emerged after 45 minutes of talks with the prime minister and her five Cabinet colleagues. Looking fatigued and depressed Vaishnav declared that "she has listened to us peacefully and we are hopeful of a solution and we have done something." Quite predictably, the fiery student leaders, who till a week ago had been talking in terms of a violent agitation, had been overawed by the towering personality of the prime minister and her senior ministers like Foreign Minister Narasimha Rao, Home Minister Giani Zail Singh, Minister of State for Home Affairs Yogendra Makwana, Deputy Minister for Finance Maganbhai Barot and Deputy Minister for Information Kumud Joshi.Makwana (third from left, sitting) an& Hathi (next to him) with the anti-reservationists: Hoping for a solutionSaid an aide of a minister, "For boys who have never met a chief minister, an encounter with the prime minister is a big thing. It was beyond them to say 'no' to the prime minister." And the memorandum presented on behalf of the striking medicos to the prime minister said, "We are grateful to the prime minister for having given us an opportunity to present our case to her" and the Gujarat movement, "required immediate consideration by a national leader like you in whom the whole nation has faith and confidence."Adulatory references to the prime minister were, in fact, the outcome of the extensive behind-the-curtain lobbying done by Hathi and the chief minister. The medicos were flown to the capital on government expense and put up in Gujarat Bhawan. They were provided state government vehicles for their local transport and Makwana hosted a sumptuous dinner in their honour. Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki, who sent one of his secretaries to look after the medicos, instructed his local office to look after the students well.Manipulation: At the same time, to puncture their inflated ego and erode their bargaining power, the Government manipulated the visit of the four-member pro-reservation medicos to New Delhi to present their point of view. And all four - B.D. Damore, Rajendra Solanki, Shyam Lal Purani and Mahendara Damore - were put up in the residence of a Scheduled Caste Congress (I) MP from Gujarat. Interestingly, Mrs Gandhi agreed to meet them immediately after the anti-reservationists had argued their case before her.Predictably, the strategy behind 'inviting' both the groups to the capital for talks with the Central leaders was to isolate them from the hard-core agitation leaders who were under the influence of politicians including those of the Congress (I) in Ahmedabad. Since the agitation leaders had gone back on all the commitments they made to the Government during their negotiations, it was decided to evolve a final settlement in New Delhi. When the anti-reservationists scaled down their demands from four to one, the prime minister summoned the chief minister to the capital to talk to both the groups. Says a Congress (I) MP from Gujarat: "Since none of us can dare sabotage the talks here, the prospects of finding a solution are better." Even Yogendra Makwana, who has been accused of inciting the Harijans. spent more than 20 hours with the upper-caste doctors to mollify their pent up feelings, while Joshi and Barot were busy pacifying the Backward and Scheduled Caste leaders. Although there are signs that the agitation is petering out due to the lack of response, it is likely to be ignited if the growing alienation amongst the upper caste Hindus and Harijans is not stopped. Already both the groups have started making disparaging remarks about each other while pamphlets denigrating the Hindus are being circulated in Gujarat. Pro-reservation medicos (from left) M. Damore, B.D. Damore. Purani and Solanki: Politicians wait in the wings while talks continueThe leaders of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes have started a poisonous campaign against even their teachers. Dr Shyam Lal Purani, joint-convenor of the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe Junior Doctors' Association alleged in a press interview that "caste conscious examiners always gave lower marks to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students." In retaliation, the caste Hindu leaders have dubbed the Harijans as "duds who cannot make good doctors".And political parties are waiting in the wings to fish in the troubled waters and the student leaders are aware of it. Says Amit Shah, secretary of the Anti-Reservation Action Committee, "All the political parties and anti-social elements are taking undue advantage of the situation." ironically two people were killed in police firing and mob-violence on the day when talks were being held in Delhi to find a solution for the problem. Although Mrs Gandhi has been able to bring the warring factions of the medicos around the negotiation table again, a permanent solution still eludes the state. Her uncanny penchant for creating a rift amongst agitationists has paid her dividends but they have always been temporary. Gujarat was not to be an exception.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Nov 23, 2013 11:50 IST--- ENDS ---

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Pro and anti-reservation medicos from Gujarat meet PM, but permanent solution still evades

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