A lot of rage, a little Rang De
May 25, 12 pm: Doubt
I prepare to leave the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the crowd only swells. Everywhere I look are people sporting little black flags, in support of anti-reservation. Will these little pieces of cloth change government policy?
Someone makes an announcement about a rally to be held in 15 minutes. There are more speeches. More poetry from more representatives. Every 15 minutes, a new group appears, to pledge support.
It's hard to say what will happen next. For the government, the issue is closed. President Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have assured students of increasing seats for the general category in proportion to the OBC quotas. From what I have seen, however, this is clearly not enough.
Above Jawaharlal Auditorium, a poster celebrating AIIMS' golden jubilee flutters. 'Cancer is Curable,' it reads. Below, staring out at the crowd, a resident doctor sports a spotless white T-shirt. Written in bold red letters across it is: "If you are asleep, wake up. If you are dead, become a politician."
Also See: Caste shouldn't overwrite merit