I can’t seem to find a single thing that the students have achieved by protesting and fasting. However there is a huge list of things that they have lost.
To start things of, reservation is incorrect. Politically, ethically, morally it is incorrect. Coming on to strikes, agitations, mass movements and the fallout, I think they are all uncalled for. The govt. has to do what it has to do and it would not stir from all these agitations.
Few things of note would be …
1. After the lathicharge on “students” at mumbai, a couple of professional event managers were caught. One of them actually went on air a television channel and talked about problems that they were facing and his personal distress. I wonder what kind of distress was he under. May be not getting his payments?
2. Then there were campaigns on sms nationwide. People said students sitting on hunger strike have died and media is barred from going there and talking to them. Wow. The next moment there is HoD of AIIMS on media and declined the allegations made. Are we trying to win our “fight” against reservation by false campaigns and rumors?
3. Further it was said people from all over the country are coming for a rally in Delhi. A “leader” of the movement told media that he had been requested by these 2000 students from other states to make arrangements for boarding and lodging. I don’t know if people have an idea of the kind of logistics required to manage 2000 people but it was impossible in every sense of the world for just students to manage it. And what about the money? Assuming that you spend mere 100 rupees for every student that comes down to the capital, we are talking about 2,00,000 rupees. This is no small sum for 500 odd medical students in Delhi.
4. Then there was a website and they were openly asking for contributions (in kind) from people. Agreed that no money is changing hands but why ask them … ? Wasnt it a student run initiative? Didnt they say they would not involve anyone who is not a student?
5. The day Supreme Court said it will hold people in contempt .. the strike was over. I wonder if honorable Supreme Court would have stepped in on Day 1.. could we have seen all those people on streets thoughtout India?
6. One of the main organizers were quoted in media as saying that they did all that to get attention from media. Now the strike is over, I hardly see any mention of medicos and reservations in Media. May be they were correct. May be Indian media is about sensational journalism …?