"I urge you to give more attention to questions of social and economic discrimination and deprivation to the hygiene of our people," Kohli said at the annual conference of Confederation of Indian Industry. This is being termed as a warning to the private sector that if they fail to voluntarily reserve toilet seats in their companies, the government may be forced to bring in a legislation.
The move comes days after the government reserved 27 per cent pots in all public toilets for the Other Backward Castes.
This news has evoked sharp criticism from upper caste students and young professionals who said they would have to hold nature's calls, as few seats available will be reserved. They demanded that the government construct more toilets, instead of fixing quotas in the existing toilets that have few descent seats.
Already the Government is facing criticism for its attempts to increase quota for the backward classes in the country's long distance trains. When the new proposal comes into effect, nearly 74 per cent of the berths will be reserved for the backward classes in Express trains and 60 per cent in the Rajdhanis. It's still not clear whether the toilet seat reservation will apply on the trains. There are just four toilets per 72 passengers in trains.
With political opinion sharply divided on this issue, the reserve-versus-deserve debate will only intensify in the coming days.
Some UPA ministers like the Food and Civil Supplies Minister Meira Tumhara have been talking about the need for a legislation to reserve tables in restaurants. "Elite restaurateurs have for long discriminated on the basis of caste, and people from backward classes have been forced to eat at dhabas. We propose 50 per cent reservation for OBCs in all restaurants, and 70 per cent during Happy Hours."
The Prime Minister's comments came in the backdrop of recommendation by the empowered group of Ministers, headed by Agriculture Minister Bharat Pawar, that caste-based reservation in road transport could be possible through amending the constitution and bringing in a new law. "If seats can be reserved for women and senior citizens, we can reserve seats for OBCs and SC/STs too, we'll bring in a legislation in the next session," he told reporters.
The bill is not expected to face any opposition in Parliament. In the last three years, the bills for caste-based quota in cinema halls, hospitals, Ansal Coaching Classes in Kota, and Air Force sailed smoothly in both houses, as no party wants to alienate the OBCs, who outnumber the few forward castes.
Experts say most of the quota policies are here to stay for ever, as it will be impossible for the political establishment to withdraw them, as any such move may affect their OBC vote share.
Meanwhile, many among the forward castes have offered an all new outlook: Since democracy is the rule of the majority, they are a minority now. And hope to be appeased at some point of time. But not many subscribe to this optimistic view of the future.
"Appeasement hasn't taken anyone anywhere, look at Muslims, they are still at the bottom of the ladder," Ram Kishan Sahay, a Kayasth, told a seminar titled "Are FCs the New Minority". He demanded reservation for the forward castes, at least for the poor among them. But Mange Lal Sharma didn't agree: "Reservation hasn't taken anyone anywhere, look at Scheduled Castes, they are still at the bottom of the ladder." And the debate goes on.
And it may get ferocious if Saifuddin Khoz has his way. The Water Resources Minister has already said that the Narmada Rehabilitation Formula will be applied in case of all future rehabilitation moves. "In case of an earthquake, 60 per cent of the beds in relief hospitals will be reserved for the OBCs and SC/STs, the rest will be allotted to the injured, irrespective of their caste and religion, but purely on the basis of severity of their injuries," Khoz said in a note, made public by a secretary, a forward caste man.
first published:April 19, 2006, 16:00 ISTlast updated:April 19, 2006, 16:00 IST
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New Delhi, April 22, 2026: Prime Minister M.S. Kohli has asked Indian industry to consider expanding their toilets, and make sure more people from weaker sections are encouraged to use them.
"I urge you to give more attention to questions of social and economic discrimination and deprivation to the hygiene of our people," Kohli said at the annual conference of Confederation of Indian Industry. This is being termed as a warning to the private sector that if they fail to voluntarily reserve toilet seats in their companies, the government may be forced to bring in a legislation.
The move comes days after the government reserved 27 per cent pots in all public toilets for the Other Backward Castes.
This news has evoked sharp criticism from upper caste students and young professionals who said they would have to hold nature's calls, as few seats available will be reserved. They demanded that the government construct more toilets, instead of fixing quotas in the existing toilets that have few descent seats.
Already the Government is facing criticism for its attempts to increase quota for the backward classes in the country's long distance trains. When the new proposal comes into effect, nearly 74 per cent of the berths will be reserved for the backward classes in Express trains and 60 per cent in the Rajdhanis. It's still not clear whether the toilet seat reservation will apply on the trains. There are just four toilets per 72 passengers in trains.
With political opinion sharply divided on this issue, the reserve-versus-deserve debate will only intensify in the coming days.
Some UPA ministers like the Food and Civil Supplies Minister Meira Tumhara have been talking about the need for a legislation to reserve tables in restaurants. "Elite restaurateurs have for long discriminated on the basis of caste, and people from backward classes have been forced to eat at dhabas. We propose 50 per cent reservation for OBCs in all restaurants, and 70 per cent during Happy Hours."
The Prime Minister's comments came in the backdrop of recommendation by the empowered group of Ministers, headed by Agriculture Minister Bharat Pawar, that caste-based reservation in road transport could be possible through amending the constitution and bringing in a new law. "If seats can be reserved for women and senior citizens, we can reserve seats for OBCs and SC/STs too, we'll bring in a legislation in the next session," he told reporters.
The bill is not expected to face any opposition in Parliament. In the last three years, the bills for caste-based quota in cinema halls, hospitals, Ansal Coaching Classes in Kota, and Air Force sailed smoothly in both houses, as no party wants to alienate the OBCs, who outnumber the few forward castes.
Experts say most of the quota policies are here to stay for ever, as it will be impossible for the political establishment to withdraw them, as any such move may affect their OBC vote share.
Meanwhile, many among the forward castes have offered an all new outlook: Since democracy is the rule of the majority, they are a minority now. And hope to be appeased at some point of time. But not many subscribe to this optimistic view of the future.
"Appeasement hasn't taken anyone anywhere, look at Muslims, they are still at the bottom of the ladder," Ram Kishan Sahay, a Kayasth, told a seminar titled "Are FCs the New Minority". He demanded reservation for the forward castes, at least for the poor among them. But Mange Lal Sharma didn't agree: "Reservation hasn't taken anyone anywhere, look at Scheduled Castes, they are still at the bottom of the ladder." And the debate goes on.
And it may get ferocious if Saifuddin Khoz has his way. The Water Resources Minister has already said that the Narmada Rehabilitation Formula will be applied in case of all future rehabilitation moves. "In case of an earthquake, 60 per cent of the beds in relief hospitals will be reserved for the OBCs and SC/STs, the rest will be allotted to the injured, irrespective of their caste and religion, but purely on the basis of severity of their injuries," Khoz said in a note, made public by a secretary, a forward caste man.
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