Our position is historically correct

Interview with Arjun Singh, Minister for Human Resource Development.

I HAVE been vindicated. This was Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singhs first reaction to the Supreme Court verdict. Throughout the legal proceedings, there were sustained attempts, inside the court and outside, to create public opinion that there was no case for OBC reservation. There were even suggestions that OBC reservation would lead to the dilution of the quality of education in institutions of higher learning.

In an interview to Frontline a few days after the verdict, Arjun Singh said that throughout this campaign the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was dictated and directed by a political conviction that its position was historically correct. Excerpts from the interview.

You have expressed satisfaction at the Supreme Courts verdict. It was preceded by a tough legal battle. What were the parameters on which the government built its case?

Basically the government was dictated and directed by a political conviction that our position on this issue is historically correct. The strength of the conviction was such that there was no complication with regard to the administrative and legal measures. We just had to pick the right team and tell them not to compromise. The team did a commendable job and went about its task methodically. There was no need for intervention from the political side.

What are the next steps planned in terms of implementation?

Implementation will start straightaway. The IITs [Indian Institutes of Technology], IIMs [Indian Institutes of Management] and the Central universities will be covered immediately. The stipulated time is three years and the process of implementation will be dependent, to some extent, on the development of infrastructure.

As infrastructure grows, the process would also expand and cover more and more numbers. The modalities are being worked out in consultation with the institutions.

What would be the quantum this year?

I cannot specify the quantum right away. The Ministry as well as other agencies involved are working on this. You will have a clear picture shortly.

The debate on the issue of the creamy layer persists even after the verdict. There has been considerable discussion even in the Union Cabinet after the verdict. Some Ministers have even questioned some of the observations made by the Supreme Court on the creamy layer. How does the government propose to address this issue?

At the moment we will implement what is clearly directed by the Supreme Court. On the issue of the creamy layer, we will have to build up a consensus, especially among the UPA allies, in the light of the judgment. That will take some time.

Does the government have a draft or a blueprint to advance discussions on this question?

We have no blueprint. But the issues are so well known. The discussion with the leaders of different parties will focus basically on the various nuances of the question. That should help the development of a consensus.

There has been some debate on the question of covering private institutions, too, under the ambit of the reservation policy. M. Veerappa Moily, chairperson of the Oversights Committee, has been consistently referring to it.

The central question with regard to this is that of implementation. How are we going to implement it? There is a lot of difference between talking and implementation. There is no novelty in saying that the private sector should also be covered by the reservation policy. One needs to finalise the modalities involved and one also needs to take a decision vis--vis the timing. All these are issues that need serious consideration. There is also the need to pass the Bill, which will facilitate the implementation of this idea, in Parliament. We are thinking in terms of getting the law passed this year.

There is a view among political parties, including the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, that OBC reservation in higher institutions became such a contentious issue essentially because of the manner in which you handled it. That this could have been easier if you were more accommodative.

I do not think that there is any need to respond to such baseless allegations. The Ministry has done its job, the Supreme Court has upheld its policy and I suppose one should graciously accept this reality and rejoice with the beneficiaries of the policy.

There have been suggestions that you have derived special political strength from the verdict and that you are trying to use it to raise a political debate. This has come up especially in the context of your remark projecting Rahul Gandhi as a future Prime Minister

I do not think that this is a question to be discussed in the context of the OBC reservation issue.