Ritwik Agrawal

Everyone knows that the left parties in India [ie, CPI, CPI-M, RSP and Forward Block] are passionate supporters of caste based reservations.

We see this here and here and here

Why then, is the CPM-led Left Front Government in Bengal dithering over reservation for other backward classes [OBCs]  in higher education? According to a report in the Indian Express, V Hanumantha Rao, the convenor of the parliamentary OBC forum of MPs has done some plain speaking in a letter written to the state government:

Even though the matter relating to providing reservation to backward classes in higher education including medical and engineering has been under discussion for years in your government but so far no order has been passed

According to West Bengal minister for backward classes Jogesh Burman, the government is busy deciding the extent of quota to be provided to OBCs in state funded higher education institutions.

The problem: deliberations on this have been going on since 2001, with no signs of a speedy resolution on the horizon.

What one fails to understand is, given how convinced they are of the benefits of OBC reservation, why have the “ideologically committed” Left forces been wilfully delaying implementation of the Mandal Commitee recommendations at the state level?

And here I thought that  the Left’s  hypocricy extended only to matters such as SEZs and nuclear agreements.

(read full Indian Express report: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cpm-govt-sleeps-on-obc-quota-centre-not-happy/434393/0)