UPA-Left meet misses mkt crash, catches quota flight

Although the stock market had crashed barely 18 hours earlier and analysts warned that worse is to follow in the Asian markets, no member of the United Progressive Alliance or the Left Front at the coordination committee meeting yesterday sought to understand from the government or Finance Minister P Chidambaram, what led to the crash.

Instead, reservations in higher education dominated the discussion.

The FM made a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation in the morning session of the meeting and emphasised the urgency of legislation like setting up the pension fund regulator. It was clear that he was in a hurry as he had to answer questions in Parliament.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil took over as soon as Chidambaram finished speaking. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury asked a question on a taxation issue and was asked to refer to the report given by the FM on two years of the UPA.

Several ministers, especially from ministries in the social sector, made presentations ranging from 10 to 20 minutes each. Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, who spoke for 20 minutes extolling his ministry's performance, was told by the Left party MPs sharply that his claim of not raising passenger fares was not accurate - in fact, fares had been indirectly raised by 10 per cent over the previous levels.

Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran was asked why out of the 19 projects set up by his ministry, 10 were based in Tamil Nadu. "Not a single project has been allotted for Kerala," E Ahamad of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) complained.

Members said the home minister "gave an exhaustive - and exhausting - presentation" after which no one had any questions.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar explained that the number of suicides by farmers was lower than the figure suggested - because the agriculture ministry had collated figures of all deaths classified as suicides by police stations across the country. He was asked why India found it necessary to import wheat while denying a high enough purchasing price to farmers.

Members got a message from the Lok Sabha asking them to return as the House was facing an uproar over the conduct of the Uttaranchal governor.

The discussion on reservations took place in the evening, when Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee explained the issues involved. This was supplemented by HRD Minister Arjun Singh.

The main push for an early resolution of the reservations issue was made by allies like Lalu Prasad, but it was the Left parties who sought it most determinedly.

When Congress President Sonia Gandhi suggested that the PM announce a resolution when he meets students on May 26, it was the Left that requested a clarification be drafted "here and now".

According to a senior minister present at the meeting, it was the quartet of PMK leader Ramadoss, Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav who insisted that the PM push through the OBC quota, "through the Ordinance route, if need be."

While Sharad Pawar, Ram Vilas Paswan and Chandrashekhara Rao suggested that the reservations be implemented in a phased manner, their suggestions were shot down as being 'anti-backward.'

CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat may have expressed concern over the divisive nature of the agitations conducted by the pro and anti reservation students, but he was interrupted by Yechury who said that this was the reason why a 'quick' implementation was needed.