IIT Bombay - Affirmative Action
http://www.mid-day.com/news/2006/may/137838.htm
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The rift between pro and anti-quota students widened at IIT-Mumbai yesterday, when 22 pro-reservation students started a hunger strike a few metres away from the spot where 600 anti-reservation students are on hunger strike.
While the anti-reservation protestors sat in the lawn of the campus, the opposinggroup sat on the lane across the road. Banner war Though the pro-reservation students were outnumbered, they made their voices heard through banners. While the banners in the anti-reservation camp reads: Aarakshan pratibha ka bhakshan, the one in the pro-reservation camp reads: Aarakshan main hi janhit ka rakshan. However, neither of the two groups had a problem with the other. We dont mind them protesting against reservation, as they have the right to voice their opinion in a democratic nation, said Neel Ratan Shinde (26) a pro-quota PhD student from IIT. More to join in When asked about the logic of protesting for a resolution, which is already approved, Dilip Mhaske, another pro-quota student, said, We want faster implementation of the reservation policy. Our demands also are about quotas in the private sector, said Mhaske. Both the groups are expecting the number of protestors to increase today. The anti-reservation students are continuing their chain hunger strike, which started yesterday. They are planning to rope in their faculty and the alumni for the protest. We need help from all quarters, so we are tapping all of them, said Prajjwal Dixit, a student from the anti-reservation camp. Siddhus faux pas Navjot Singh Siddhu was one of the reasons for the discontent among the pro-quota students. In his rally he said, Kawwa kabhi sher nahin ban sakta. His statement maligned our self esteem, said Ratnesh Bangares, a B Tech student. |
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