Unreserved judgement

Regional Roundup

Human Resources Minister Arjun Singh's decision to press for reservations in higher education was condemned by most newspapers across the country. In the north, the issue never left the front page and was the day's lead on many occasions.

In Maharashtra, all prominent Marathi newspapers like Sakal, Loksatta and Maharashtra Times covered the issue as well as the subsequent protests of students. Even though all wrote a number of editorials, and carried articles by experts and prominent personalities from various fields, none "" except for the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Samna "" took any stand on the issue. Sena has continued with its anti-reservation stance. The Marathi newspapers also gave wide publicity to the state public works development minister Chaggan Bhujbal's pro-reservation remarks and attempts by Samata Parishad, an organisation which owes allegiance to Bhujbal, to hold a pro-reservation rally and launch direct confrontations with anti-reservation activists.

Leading Tamil daily Dinamalar carried four-column report with two photographs on protests against the OBC quota on page one in its edition dated May 16. The report said that the government was trying hard to end the strike and there was disruption of medical services causing inconvenience to patients. The daily also carried photos and reports on strike on the inside pages over the last few days.

All the major Telugu newspapers including Eenadu, Vaartha and Andhra Jyothi dedicated only two-column space to the news on their inside pages besides carrying photographs of the police lathi-charge on the medicos. Editorially, however, the newspapers had hot debates on the reservations issue. Andhra Jyothi, in its edit page article on Sunday "" What's on the other side of reservations? "" contended that reservations are a privilege. "In the larger context it is a 'special facility'. Such facilities should be provided to the majority of the citizens.

Now that the Centre has stirred the hornet's nest, the only thing it can do is to face the wrath," the paper said. Eenadu, in its editorial on Tuesday, said that the Centre should strike a delicate balance on the issue of reservations for OBCs in educational institutions. "The Centre has been accusing the junior doctors and medicos of violating the Supreme Court's guidelines by going on strike. But it is the government's reservation proposal, which led to the strike thereby disrupting normal and emergency services in some hospitals, complying with the Apex Court's verdicts? Who is answerable for this?" the newspaper questioned.