OBC reservation in medical education: VCK gives call for protest

OBC reservation in medical education; reservation in private sector and institutions of excellence: Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) (Liberation Panthers Party) calls for protests across Tamil Nadu demanding attention to these issues.

Demanding the central government to implement reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the central pool of medical seats, along with reservations in private sector and institutions of excellence, VCK will protest before the district collectorates in Tamil Nadu on June 8, 11am. These protests will take place following the social distancing norms in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the centre is betraying OBC students by denying them reservations in the central pool of medical seats. VCK strongly condemns this social injustice. We demand the OBC reservation to be immediately implemented.

The central government has kept the eight ‘institutions of excellence’ out of reservation policies. The reason given is that these institutions would lose their special status if the reservations were introduced. This buys into the notion that those who occupy reserved seats lack merit. Accepting this idea will mean accepting that those who are given reservation lack merit and talent. Hence, we demand the central government to implement reservations in those special institutions as well.

After Narendra Modi took charge as the prime minister of the country, privatisation has grown manifold. Using the emergency situation of the coronavirus pandemic, the finance minister has announced the privatisation of public sector units. These public enterprises are built on people’s tax money. Approximately 1.5 million people are employed in these institutions. Through reservations, lakhs of Scheduled Caste and OBC individuals have got employment in these institutions. Privatisations will lead to the loss of these employment options. How can we accept selling these institutions built on our tax money to the private corporations? We demand that the central government take back these plans for privatisation. We also demand that the government implement reservations in the private sectors by drafting a new law.

Calling attention to these demands, we will protest at district collectorates across Tamil Nadu, following social distancing norms. We call everyone who cares for social justice to participate in these protests.