Word: singh
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...arrest of a Hindu revivalist last week has pushed Prime Minister V.P. Singh's government to the verge of collapse and the country into turmoil. At the center of the controversy is L.K. Advani, president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, a Hindu nationalist group whose support is necessary for Singh's shaky coalition government to survive. Advani had embarked on a five-week religious march to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, where he vowed to begin building a temple in honor of the Hindu god Rama. But a mosque already sits on the site, and Muslims are vehemently opposed to moving...
...India, have become martyrs over the past three weeks, in most cases by setting themselves on fire. Chaturvedi and 38 others died, while Goswami and at least 126 others were hospitalized. All the young men and women were upper-caste Hindus, and all were incensed by Prime Minister V.P. Singh's announcement that as part of an affirmative-action effort, he would more than double, to 50%, the job quota for the lower castes and other disadvantaged groups. Singh called his move on behalf of what amounts to 52% of the population a "momentous decision for social justice...
Students like Goswami and Chaturvedi, however, saw the tactic as a cynical stunt aimed at winning Singh a new constituency among the lower-caste voters. At stake are an estimated 50,000 government jobs that until now were open to upper-caste students. The competitive university system produces far more graduates than the job market can absorb, and young upper-caste Indians are extremely eager to find jobs that will pay well enough to meet their middle- class expectations. Now they face a situation where no matter how well they do in school, it will be considerably harder...
Another key factor animating the students' rage is a sense of betrayal. There is a widespread belief that Singh, who enjoyed a large following among students because he stressed honest, "value-based politics," compromised those principles by setting aside the jobs for lower castes. Though Singh does have a history of commitment to social reform, it is also undeniable that he needed a stronger mandate to prop up his minority government. The affirmative- action decision not only gave Singh fresh support from a huge part of the electorate; it also undermined several of his political enemies who rely...
...When Singh announced the quota system, he told Parliament, "This is a momentous decision of social justice." But 22.5% of federal jobs are already reserved for members of tribes and untouchables, and high-caste students fear they will be squeezed out of the job market. As protests spread, Singh said in a speech that he would not "dilute" his plan. Meanwhile, 24 towns and cities were placed under curfew...