Tatas ready for caste quota in private sector http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=13619629By Subodh Ghildiyal in New Delhi Monday, 29 November , 2004, 08:17 Tata industries has agreed to back caste-based reservations in the private sector. The move has the potential to jolt the Industry, which is hostile to the Union Government's promise for affirmative action outside the public sector. In a communique sent to Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar, Chairman of the Tata conglomerate, Ratan Tata, has informed his readiness to back the Government initiative for upliftment of the SC/STs and other underprivileged social segments through affirmative action in the private sector. Discuss: Reservation in private sector will hurt Indian Inc's profits Tata group is preparing its own plan on the shape that affirmative action can take. Corporate sources said the decision of the Tatas to draft their own proposal points to the possibility of the business house settling for voluntary action over Government legislation. The Tata-Government dialogue began after Kumar addressed Indian Merchants' Chamber in Mumbai on September 21, initiating what the UPA has called a National Dialogue to evolve a consensus on the issue. Tata wrote, "Tata group certainly understands the social responsibility that all Industry should carry to bring social justice to SC/ST and other minority or underprivileged sections of our community. We would happily support your initiative." He promised to revert to the Government with some 'finite proposals' on what he can do 'to support your initiatives'. Following correspondence with the Ministry, Tata wrote another letter on October 4, reiterating his commitment to affirmative action and drafting of a plan that would back the Government initiatives. Tata is the second business house after Videocon to give a nod to affirmative action and the first one to commit itself in black and white. Rest of the industry has voiced concerns on the issue. In its fresh bid, Government has recently dispatched a letter to as many as 71 chambers of commerce and business bodies, stressing on its need for such affirmative action for SC/ST and also sought their views on how they thought the same could be carried out. The significance of Tata's letter to Kumar can be gauged from the fact that the Group of Ministers formed to hold a dialogue with the Industry has discussed them. Sources in the GoM, headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, said they plan to turn around the hostility among private employers by telling them that if the 'Tatas could agree to affirmative action, then the argument that caste quota would compromise merit was baseless'. The GoM has planned to meet in December again. If the Tatas' view is any indication, the Government may be veering towards a compromise where Industry voluntarily accepts to give representation to the marginalised sections of society and Government can do away with the thought of a legislation. The Prime Minister has on several occasions announced that the caste quota will not be imposed on private sector. The Government left the door for a compromise ajar when Kumar told the Indian Merchants' chamber that, "I would really stress that if industry and business can, on its own initiative, come forward and consciously make an effort to employ those amongst the marginalised groups who are qualified and eligible, we would not even need to discuss the issue of legislation for reservation any further." |