Would you say its introduction in the Rajya Sabha is a milestone in the struggle for reservation?
I wouldn’t call it a milestone. We have crossed the first hurdle, and to that extent it is a step forward in our struggle. We do need to congratulate the United Progressive Alliance government. During the tenure of the National Democratic Alliance government, only because the Janata Dal (United) was opposing it [the Bill], they refused to bring it to the Standing Committee. They sabotaged the Bill the very first day. In contrast, the UPA government got the Bill introduced and convinced the Rashtriya Janata Dal, which is an important partner in the coalition government. This is an important development in coalition politics. The government persuaded the RJD, which had voiced strong opposition right from the beginning, to let the Bill be introduced and sent to the Standing Committee. The fact that the RJD agreed to it is no mean achievement. This is a positive step. As far as the Left is concerned, we feel that the government has accepted our reasoning that there must be a concrete discu
