Quota being held to ransom: TN CM

New Delhi: The future of thousands of students has finally been decided at least for this year.

In what has been a big blow to the Government's pro-reservation stance, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to vacate the stay on 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in elite educational institutions like IIMs and IITs.

There was predictably, an immediate reaction from Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Tuesday asked the Centre to "take action before people erupt like volcano".

He addressed the Centre in his speech in the state Assembly saying, "Democracy would be badly affected if the faith of 100 core people is determined by the two or three men."

The Congress had been under strong pressure from its allies after the Supreme Court had stayed the controversial OOBC quota on March 29.

"The Goverment is planning to approach the Chief Justice over the quota issue on Tuesday. We will ask for the constitution of a larger bench to decide on the issue. Meanwhile, the Government directives to IIMs to hold the admissions still stand" — Arjun Singh, April 24, 2007

Then too, Karunanidhi had said: "The bandh is to make everyone realise that the Supreme Court's order attacks the very roots of the downtrodden in our society."

Tamil Nadu has the highest percentage of reservation in institutes of higher education in the country - 69 per cent - and the state's politics revolves around the OBC vote bank.

"Nowhere in the world do castes, classes or communities queue up for the sake of gaining status" — The Bench, March 29, 2007

On April 5, 2007, in what seemed like almost defiance of the Supreme Court verdict, the Tamil Nadu government announced exclusive reservations for Christians and Muslims in government services and educational institutions.

The decision was taken on the recommendations of the state Backward Classes Commission, headed by Justice M Janardanam, a retired judge of the Madras High court, said Karunanidhi.

Tamil Nadu is of the opinion that the Apex Court verdict affects the rights of Parliament and is a setback to the socially and educationally oppressed sections of society.

Pro-reservationists in the state won their battle decades ago and while the Apex Court's order gives some hope to those against reservations, it now seems that they are all set to face strong protests from the southern state.