Anti-reservation rally in Uttaranchal

Dehra Dun, May 20 (UNI) Scores of students from Forest Research Institute (Deemed University) here today organised an anti-reservation rally, burning HRD Minister Arjun Singh in effigy and forwarded a memorandum to the President A P J Abdul Kalam through district administration seeking no reservation at higher education level.

FRI students started the rally from Institute premises and reached Clock Tower raising slogans against Mr Arjun Singh and burnt him in effigy. From Clock Tower, they headed towards District Collectorate and handed over the memorandum to the DM.

''To make the Prime Minister decide, do we need another suicide?'' read one of their placards and ''Aaj ka Arjun, Desh ka dushman'' was one of their slogans.

Somya Tyagi, who was leading the rally, said the students of FRI were irked by the ongoing reservation policy of the government and discouraging stance by the HRD Minister.

Expressing her solidarity with the student community, she said, ''We want to voice disapproval regarding the callous and silent attitude of government and particularly the HRD Ministry''.

Tanika Tyagi, another student said there should be no reservation at higher education level. ''Instead, merit should be the sole criterion for selection,'' she said, adding there should be scholarhip instead of reservation.

According to Himani Purohit, another student participating in the rally, it was unfair on HRD Ministry's part to downplay the suggestions of Knowledge Commission. ''Stress should be given on primary and secondary level education to make the underpriviledged competent enough,'' she said.

The students have declared further augmentation of their protest on May 27 if the situation did not improve.

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