"The present policy considers caste as the only impediment to equality and neglects many factors like economic status, availability of resources, residence(rural, urban) etc.Hence there is a need to take a comprehensive view and formulate a new policy"
The issue of reservations is always been a hot potato before elections. The reason is quite obvious and well known. Unfortunately, the reservation card is being played quite elegantly and reluctantly by our politicians to meet their own needs at the cost of livelihood of millions of people and more worryingly national integration.
London Daily long back opined that “While world is marching towards development, there is a race for backwardness in India”. This comment was made in the context of Gujjar agitation for better reservations. This clearly indicates that there is something wrong with the current reservation policy. The recent demands of Gujjars, Jats and proposals for religion based reservations are signs of disintegration.Caste based reservations in the short run may pacify these communities but where is the end to such kind of demands, today Gujjar tomorrow somebody else. By saying so I meant no disregard for their problems but highlighting loophole in the current reservation policy. If not the current policy is reformed on a war footing, it may pose grave threats to the national unity in the long run.Hence, it is high time to introspect and review the reservation policy to achieve its larger goals without compromising on building a national identity while preserving diversity.
In our society discrimination is persistent since time immemorial. For India to be a global leader in the contemporary world where equality and fraternity are the buzzwords, there is a strong need to eliminate these deep rooted discrimination .It is our moral responsibility too. With this noble idea our forefathers had introduced the concept of caste based reservations which they felt was compatible to the situations prevailing in those days.
After decades of its inception, it is quite evident that its achievements are completely blurred by the pernicious caste identity that it perpetuated. There is no wrong with the caste based reservation policy per se but its failure can be attributed to political parties, leaders and ignorant society. Many lessons are to be learned from here.
There is another view against the whole idea of reservations. It argues that in the pursuit of social inclusion, we are compromising with the merit in public employment. There is a point in this argument too. But at the same time, we as a society cannot ignore the people who are being oppressed throughout the ages. There is a need to act on war footing to provide all sorts of opportunities to them to grow. As Supreme Court opined , we need to balance both merit and reservations.
Now a day’s major parties & leaders are shamelessly luring the minority voters by proposing religion based reservations. Which policy our forefathers did not dare to pursue out of apprehension that it may further widen the gulf between the religions and disturb the communal harmony. Adding to the fault lines of caste identity, these newly proposed religion based reservations may further widen the cracks and remain a stumbling block on the road to the national integration.
There is an urgent need to a fresh debate across India on this sensitive issue. The present policy considers caste as the only impediment to equality and neglects many factors like economic status, availability of resources, residence(rural, urban) etc.Hence there is a need to take a comprehensive view and formulate a new policy. In this context, it is worth trying a very novel idea proposed by Prof.Purushottam Agarwal some time back click here to view the report.His idea of MIRAA(multiple index related affirmative action) takes into account most of these factors and suggests a new approach to the current problem.
It may be quite hard to convince our rotten political class to proceed with the reforms .But, thanks to the vibrant and more assertive civil society which kept our hopes alive. With its iron will, it can bulldoze the reforms over the heads of our politicians to achieve an egalitarian society. All that we need to do is to trigger another Lokpal like agitation……can we???
As you rightly pointed out, the Government had to do something when India got independence to improve the lives of many who had been ill-treated for ages. That's why Dr. Ambedkar proposed the idea of reservation for some time. Unfortunately, he did not put a time frame for the reservation scheme. Apparently, the reservation has not been very effective. There were many flaws in the implementation of the reservation policy. What is the need for continuing reservation for the children of ministers or Civil Service people? Only a few people enjoy reservation and the benefits are transferred from one generation to the next. The rest of the people are deprived of education and reservation benefits.
ReplyDeleteThe caste-based reservation has only worsened the social scenario in India. While it is important to uplift the downtrodden, it is also important not to discriminate against people who are considered belonging to an "upper caste". Earlier, these so-called upper caste people enjoyed many benefits. In an independent, liberal and democratic India, it's not the case any more. So people who are thought to be belonging to an upper caste are deprived of facilities offered by the Government for no fault of their own. Their forefathers might have enjoyed many benefits and they might have committed many crimes. But is it fair to punish the current generation for the crimes attributed to their forefathers? Is it not a gross violation of one's fundamental rights espoused by the Constitution?
In my humble opinion, reservation should be restricted to education alone. When it comes to getting a job or giving promotions, only merit should matter. But to create a level playing field, the reservation policy must focus on imparting quality education that will make people competent enough. Now in our country, people who are eligible for reservation are awarded a relaxation in age limit and the required minimum academic performance. This is discrimination again and it will only promote mediocrity and backwardness as the article rightly pointed out. The current reservation policy is taking India backwards as it was in the ancient times, with societies divided by castes. We must stop this caste-based reservation system. If any application form is asking for one's caste, the caste-system will remain here.
you are quite right my friend...
ReplyDeleteThough reservations are not known to uplift or empower the intended beneficiaries anywhere in the world, I believe Govt of India started on the wrong note by linking reservations to castes. Had the GOI provided for reservations for economically backward sections of society, the policy may have been less prone to political exploitation. The present policy has only managed to create a huge 'creamy layer' among the target groups, denying it to a wider base amongst them. Moreover, I believe reservations and other subsidies should be provided only in education and not in employment. Quotas in jobs, as I mentioned earlier, only creates a pool of 'creamy layer' amongst certain groups, besides degrading the quality of services linked to such jobs. For instance, the same politicians who claim to support more reservations should send their children to public schools where the underprivileged study, or get treated by doctors who have become so thanks to the reservation policy. So, politicians have furthered the flawed reservation policy purely for their own political gains, and it's time it is revised addressing all its flaws over the decades.
ReplyDeleteHey Prabhakar, nice to read your views.
ReplyDeleteYou are going great guns !!
Wonderful article.