OBC reservation impasse continues; Strike enters day 6

New Delhi, May 19 (UNI) As negotiations over the OBC reservation impasse remained inconclusive, the AIIMS Faculty Association today sat on a day-long hunger strike in support of the agitating doctors and medical students on an indefinite work boycott for six days.

The students and doctors, under the banner of Youth for Equality', have called for a nation-wide rally tomorrow to press for their roll-back demand of the Government's proposal. The march in Delhi will commence at Maulana Azad Medical College.

Simultaneously, students and doctors in several cities, including Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Shimla, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Faridkote, will also stage rallies.

The United Students', which comprises students from Delhi University, IP University and several schools, along with members of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and Delhi Traders and RWAs will also stage a rally in support of the agitating doctors and medical students.

Members of the AIIMS Faculty Association this morning joined the fasting students, opposing the Government's proposal of 27 reservation per cent for OBCs in higher educational institutions.

''The government needs to urgently respond to the demands of the students and doctors.... We are lending our full support to the agitation,'' AIIMS Faculty Association President A B Dey said.

He said the Government must take some action to resolve the issue and review the existing reservation policy.

The anti-reservation movement gained further impetus today with scores of Delhi University students staging protests in support of the striking doctors and medical students.

The Delhi University students marched through the North Campus to the Vice-Chancellor's residence.

Shouting anti-reservation slogans, the students, led by 'Management Guru' and author Shiv Khera, were demanding a complete roll-back of the government proposal, which has sparked off nation-wide protest on the issue.

Meanwhile, about 100 of the over 180 fasting students in AIIMS have been admitted to the AIIMS casualty unit due to dehydration and other complications. The hunger strike began at AIIMS on May 13.

About tomorrow's nation-wide rally, 'Youth for Equality spokesperson Sasmit Sarangi said it will be a show of strength.

''The rally will be a show of strength. We want to convey to the Government that we will not call off the agitation.'' He said the striking students and doctors will take the agitation to its logical end.

''We will not be deterred by notices, termination letters or police action.... We will make the government reconsider its decision,'' he added.

Mr Sarangi said since the negotiations with the government had failed, the students and doctors were not left with any other option but to protest.

Criticising the Government for its apathy towards the striking doctors and students, he said the authorities were ''not concerned about the common man''.

Late last night, a delegation of Youth for Equality, which is spearheading the agitation, met Minister of State without Portfolio Oscar Fernandes for the second time in the day and conveyed their decision to continue with the anti-OBC reservation agitation as they were not satisfied with the government's suggestions on the contentious issue.

The striking doctors and student remained defiant, and said they will not withdraw the agitation and termination letters or notices will not deter them.

JNU, IIT, Delhi University, Indra Prastha University, school students, lawyers and parents of the fasting students have also lent support to the agitation. The parents are conducting a 'hawan' in AIIMS for the well being of striking students and doctors.

Medical services continued to be affected as the indefinite work boycott entered the sixth day today.

Though parallel OPD units were set up, services in Delhi's five premier government hospitals including AIIMS and LNJP, remained affected and patients had to suffer.

However, emergency and ICU departments functioned in all the hospitals.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Safdarjang, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narain and Sucheta Kriplani Hospitals were returning patients despite parallel OPD units functioning there.

Resident and Junior doctors of Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Ram Manohar Lohia, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Ihbas hospitals have also joined the striking students and doctors.

The first round of negotiations over the OBC reservation impasse failed yesterday, with the students rejecting Governmet's assurance not to disturb the general category seats.

''We conveyed our decision of continuing with the strike to Mr Fernandes at the meeting. The government's assurance that general category seats will not be reduced is not acceptable to us,'' Youth for Equality leader Dr Neha Gami said.

The students and doctors took the decision at an emergency meeting of the Executive Council of the 'Youth for Equality', after talks with Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and Mr Fernandes earlier in the day.

The executive unanimously decided to continue and intensify the agitation.

''Nothing will deter us.... Notices, police action or termination orders nothing at all,'' she added.

The Ministers had asked the students and doctors to call off the agitation, while assuring that general category seats would not be disturbed and the proposed increase in quota for OBCs would be met by adding more seats.

The Ministers had also assured them that the number of higher educational institutes will also be increased.

The Government had rejected their demand for setting up of an 'apolitical' judicial commission to review the existing reservation policy.

The students have been demanding a review of the policy and to consider its drawbacks, loopholes, merits and advantages.

UNI