http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/04/stories/2007060406740400.htm
Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad Mala Mahanadu president calls off fast, shifted to NIMS Special Correspondent Government assures steps to convince Centre on scrapping Usha Mehra panel HYDERABAD: Mala Mahanadu president Jupudi Prabhakara Rao on Sunday called off his five-day fast, launched against categorisation of Scheduled Castes, after the Government assured to explore possibilities of convincing the Centre to scrap the Justice Usha Mehra Commission. High drama prevailed at the fast venue in the morning, as Mr. Rao's condition deteriorated. Amid slogan-shouting by his supporters, police shifted him to the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences for treatment. The Mala community leader announced that he would continue the fast in NIMS till concrete measures for scrapping the commission were initiated. He, however, called off the stir after Social Welfare Minister P. Subash Chandra Bose, accompanied by his Cabinet colleague G. Surya Rao, rushed to NIMS and assured him that pressure would be mounted on the Centre to consider the feelings of the Mala community and scrap the commission. Expert panel The Government had agreed to constitute an expert committee to study the socio-economic and other conditions of the sub-castes among the Scheduled Castes, they said. A delegation comprising Ministers and Mala MPs and MLAs will be sent to New Delhi to convince AICC president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the "adverse impact" of SC categorisation. It was against the Supreme Court's judgment and Constitutional spirit. Mr.Rao later told reporters that he had decided to end the hunger strike following concrete assurances from the Government. He would, however, not hesitate to sit on fast if the Government failed to initiate measures to fulfil the Mala Mahanadu demands within a week.
