The students urged the President to not sign the government’s quota bill and to set up a commission to review the country’s reservation policy.
NEW DELHI: Four students met President APJ Abdul Kalam on Wednesday and requested permission to kill themselves.
“When the government is killing our right to live, they should give us the right to die,” said Kapil Mishra, a student of the Delhi School of Social Work and member of the delegation. “Twenty-two people, including students and professionals, have made this demand.”
The students urged the President to not sign the government’s quota bill and to set up a commission to review the country’s reservation policy. “The President told us to not hurt ourselves as we are the future of the country,” said Mishra.
“He emphasised that we should use our votes to change the government if needed. He also asked us to withdraw the hunger strike.”
Later, the President issued an official appeal to the medicos, asking them to end their hunger strike and assuring them that the number of seats would be increased.
But the medicos are intent on intensifying their agitation.
“The government cheated us,” said Dr Safal Singh of the AIIMS. “All these days they made promises and then decided to implement the quota. If they could change their stance once, we will make sure through our agitation that they do so again.”
The students have planned a civil disobedience movement today and appealed to supporters to boycott work from 9am to noon. “They have seen thousands of rallyists, now we will show them lakhs,” said Amitasha Sinha from Lady Hardinge Medical College. “A rally is planned on May 28, where students and people from other states will also join in.”
Meanwhile, walk-in interviews for ad-hoc doctors in the capital failed. At Safdarjung Hospital, students surrounded the medical superintendent’s office and refused to let anyone enter. Ironically, not one interviewee showed up. The situation was similar in other hospitals.
IIM students enter the fray
K Raghu
BANGALORE: Students of the six IIMs joined ranks with the striking medical students on Wednesday. “We are against the proposed increase in reservations in its present form,” said R Srihari Bhartthi, president of the IIM Bangalore students’ council.
The decision was unanimous in the student councils of all six IIMs. But the students said they would need a month to chart out an action plan for their protests. In a joint statement they said the exception made to the Right to Equality in the Constitution has “continued far longer than envisaged”.
The protesters are steadfast
Pavan Mallik is on Day 12 of his hunger strike. Lying in the central gardens of the AIIMS with a walkman, he is as enthusiastic about the cause as he was on Day 1. “If we will not fight for ourselves, nobody else will,” he said. “We never looked at our classmates with the bias of caste. It is the government that is forcing us to do so. If so many people are supporting us, it means our cause is just.”
Mallik refuses to think about food. “First let’s win the battle.”
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