Author: PK Narayana Panikker ,General
Secretary, NSS
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: May 21, 2005
Nair Service Society (NSS) will
oppose any move to rake up the Narendran Commission report because such
actions, under political compulsions, will result in the revival of divisive
and communal tendencies in society. We strongly suspect that the current
move is enacted under the pressure of the Muslim League.
A Writ Petition is still pending
before the Supreme Court (958/2000), questioning the constitution of the
first Narendran Commission. No government could perpetuate reservation
without removing the creamy layer. When the then UDF government brought
in an Act in 1995 declaring that there was no creamy layer in the state,
the NSS had approached the apex court, which struck down the Act. It was
to circumvent this situation that the next LDF government constituted the
Narendran panel.
It is in the light of the panel's
report that the state government fixed the income ceiling at Rs 2.50 lakh,
which do not include incomes other than salary. This went against the recommendations
of the Supreme Court-appointed Commission, which included both salary and
income other than salary for arriving at a ceiling for inclusion in the
creamy layer. The recommendation of the Narendran panel, which excluded
non-salary income from consideration, would only help the moneyed class
to corner all the advantages under the twin benefits of reservation nder
"backward" and "minority" status. The present report, which is being taken
up for discussion, is one that goes against law and justice and which remains
contested before the apex court.
The ruling UDF is succumbing to
the pressure tactics of the IUML just for the sake of completing its term.
The interests of the League do not reflect the interests of the Muslim
community in general. The allegation that the NSS-SNDP tie-up is against
any particular community is baseless. Both organisations oppose the self-centred
politics of the Muslim League, and this view should not be misinterpreted
as anti-Muslim. There are enough indicators that the government is clearly
pushing the agenda of the Muslim League at the cost of the majority community.
In a democracy, it is the duty of the elected government not to give undue
favours to a specific organisation or community. The NSS is primarily opposed
to such double standards taken by a democratically-elected government.
The soft stand adopted by UDF MLAs
in the Assembly towards the IUML demand to implement the Narendran Commission
report was testimony to the Chandy government's tactics to stick to power
at any cost. The NSS had written to all MLAs, ministers and the then chief
minister, on June 30, 2004, to explain its position on the Narendran Commission.
The NSS would move forward to take up any challenge in this regard, and
then the ruling dispensation will be solely responsible.
