OBC issue: Show of strength by agitating medicos

New Delhi, Apr 29: Agitating medical students today said their nation-wide peaceful protest on May 2 will be a ''show of strength'' to send across the message that the stir will not ''die down'' and the ongoing indefinite strike will continue.

''The Union HRD Minister thinks that the excuse of election-code-of conduct till May 12 will work and the agitation will fizzle out.... but that will not happen,'' AIIMS Students' Union spokesperson Sasmit Sarangi told UNI.

He said the May 2 protest, against the proposal to provide 27 per cent reservation to OBCs in Central Government educational institutions, will be held at several places in the country and be a ''show of strength''.

''If the Government does not even hear us, we will make the agitation even bigger and stronger... We are not giving up on our demands,'' he added The students, on an indefinite strike from April 27, have been demanding a rollback of the proposal.

On Tuesday, the students will demonstrate at India Gate through the day.

Simultaneously, medical students in other parts of the country including Bombay, Shimla, Amritsar, and Rajasthan, will also hold demonstrations.

Mr Sarangi said at the moment the students, agitating under the aegis of 'Youth for Equality Forum', are coordinating with students in other places including Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

He said the agitation was also getting support from students of several institutions, including IITs and the Delhi University.

''We are getting letters of support from all the parts of the country.... Students from across the country are ready to support us,'' he added.

The students of Maulana Azad Medical College, Lady Hardinge Medical College, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, University College of Medical Sciences and Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College have boycotted lectures and stayed away from OPD services.

On Friday, HRD Minister Arjun Singh met representatives of the students but declined to discuss the issue until after elections.

The students decided to continue with the agitation as they were not ''satisfied'' with Mr Singh's response to their demand.

They had sought ''concrete assurance'' from the Minister with regards to the proposal. They demanded that Mr Singh hold consultations with them before the matter reached the Cabinet.

A source said the HRD Minister told the representatives that any decision was not for him alone to make. It would be taken by the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

On Wednesday, hundreds of students of the medical colleges clashed with the police after it prevented them from 'petitioning' Mr Singh against the reservation policy and road blockade.

The students were tear-gassed and sprayed with water cannons when they blocked traffic on Janpath, near Hotel Le Meridian crossing.

Mild lathicharge was also resorted to in order to break the 'rasta roko', which lasted for more than one-and-a-half hours.

However, no one was reported injured.

Three rounds of tear-gas shells were fired to disperse those who staged a 'rasta roko' to 'apprise' people on the issue.

Before dispersing, students told mediapersons that they wanted the people to know about the consequences of the reservation policy which was why they blocked traffic.

UNI