Date:19/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/19/stories/2008041959630300.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Efforts on for political alternative: Agnivesh

Staff Reporter

Activists to meet in Delhi on April 21

KOCHI: Social activists will meet in Delhi on April 21 with the aim of coming up with a national political alternative, Swami Agnivesh, social activist and president of the World Council of Arya Samaj, said.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, the Swami regarded the prevailing political situation in the country as “unfortunate.”

“We have held several meeting before. We will deliberate about a new type of national alliance at the meeting,” he said.

“Both the Left and the Right [parties] have converged on same economic policies and model of development.

There is not much to choose between different parties.

Hardly any party is committed to sensitive issues like ecology, environment, people’s struggle for land, human rights, fight against bonded labour etc,” he said.

Talking about reservation, the Swami said that there should be reservation based on inter-caste marriage.

“Inter-caste married young men and women should be given priority in reservation. Besides, there should be a separate reservation of 10 per cent for such people within the merit list, “he said.

He said that the Arya Samaj always stood for an egalitarian society devoid of caste and class.