Why do we need reservation? For Vs against - Lekshmy UK

Why do we need reservation?

Nobody can deny the fact that in past atrocities have been committed based on birth attributes. And to neutralize the atrocities of the past, we have to provide them a future. It is a moral commitment for us. Reservation is the best way to do so. But the popular opinion on this is not unanimous. However the reason why reservations remain contentious is not because it is divisive or because it can trigger social conflict but only because it is never taught or discussed in the right sense.  

It is seen as providing a social support rather than a social justice and as bringing divisions rather than bringing equality.

Discrimination varies from region to region. Different castes were discriminated in differently in different region of India.

“Today reservations are only a political tactic to gain votes. It is both a catalyst and a probable cause of a social conflict.” says the upper castes and the elites of the country. It is seen as a trick employed by the politicians to secure vote-banks instead of being seen as the greatest and the most successful social experiment in the history of mankind that has emancipated hundreds of millions of lower classes out of subjugation in less than hundred years, overturning domination and discrimination that lasted nearly two thousand years.

Most of the urban elite see reservations as anti-merit and anti-excellence system, while nobody bothers to point out that a society cannot strive for excellence without being inclusive. Elite lower castes don’t support reservations. They see it as a sign announcing ‘lack of competency”. Those availing reservations are seen inferior in certain way which can only be compensated by reservations. Supporting reservation is seen as admitting incapability.

The Merit Argument:

 The major point made by the opponents of caste based reservations is that it undermines the principle of merit with which our educational institutions currently work. They claim that it adversely affects the overall development of the society. The claim that the less merited from the reserved castes are preferred over the more merited from un-reserved categories is their main aver. However what the proponents of merit only argument fail to see is that the children under the reserved categories are deprived of the privileges of well educated parents, books, coaching centres, schools  which the unreserved children have with them as given. So this argument is a futile and acts  as a smokescreen for the perpetuation of inherited privileges.

If they are so very concerned about maintaining merit in all walks of Indian Economic and Social development, why didn’t we hear their voices rise when women were given 33% seats in Indian Parliament? Doesn’t merit apply there or is it that politics is to remain perpetually as a failed unconcerned about merit? The students who agitated when caste-based reservations were extended to the ‘premier’ educational institutions of India IITs and IIMs seemed so concerned about the future of India calling for ‘meritorious development’. In colleges of excellence like IITs OBCs who made it in open general category sees reservation as ‘demoralising’. Will the women feel the same when they sit on seats reserved for them in buses? If so then why don’t they stay here after their UG and PG and serve their mother country? Why do they boast of heavily paid jobs in Europe and America? What our country needs at the moment is not anti-reservation campaigns but improvement in technology in rural India, or management in rural areas or the public health care system.

“If the OBCs with less marks at the entry level are allowed to share the seats in these institutions, that in itself is not going to make a substantial difference in terms of creativity and productivity of these institutions. Given the creative interaction of the boys and girls coming from lower castes with nature and the means of production, having entered into such institutions, they might show exceptional talent in discovering new ways of doing things that could enhance the knowledge base of the country.”, says Kancha Iliah in his article Merit of reservations.

Only 2 institutes in Hyderabad produces 20% of IITans. This shows how ‘well’ the process of rote mugging has been taught and fostered. Innovation, creativity and change are seen with condemn.  Competence is about ‘sounding’ competent, not actually doing it. Remembering formulas learned years before and using technical terms now seem to showcase your competency. In that face supporting reservation is also seen as admitting your incompetency. This is the current fate of Indian IT Industry.

The SC/ST/OBC together constitutes more than 75% of India’s population. Still we are providing only  50% reservation for them. Anti-reservationists forget that they would have to live hating this 75%. What is worth living such a life? They talk about ‘merit’, but fail to see the kind of doctors the so-called ‘meritorious’ students are going to make hating more than half of their people. They go against students availing seats through reservation and not against those who do so through donations. Using economic power and political power remains unquestioned. How better are they compared to the lower caste students.

Anti-reservation protests- May- Jun 2006. Upper caste Hindus swept the streets and sang songs warning the lower castes to ‘be in your place’. What more explicit answers do the anti-reservationists need to be shown that there still exists caste based discrimination? The documentary ‘India untouched’ shows how the worst form exploitation untouchability is still practiced by upper caste with pride and lower castes undergo this without any questions.

We introduced reservations to give representation to the oppressed and socially weak classes. Its aim is to bring all people at par- economically, politically, socially and educationally. There should not be any community hegemony over another community which we can achieve only if there is upward mobility. Empower the community, let them gain respect, educate the kids and move the community up into forward class or declassified list. Talent is distributed equally – not based on caste or region. So given the opportunity, people from all castes will excel if they have commitment and dedication.  India should try to create a level field where people can compete with each other with any legacy to carry.

The question here is – aren’t they ready for standing on their own and competing with the so called forward classes or do they still need reservation to do it? Are there not enough educated people in those communities who can drive their community upward?

To profile people on their birth attributes - like caste, language, color of skin, region is not logical. People should be judged on what they have achieved like education, courtesy, vision, work, rather than what they are born with.

"Reservation is not going to stay here forever". It is a temporary solution to embolden India's social commitment. Once the goal is achieved, it has to go away. Reservation is help, not a fundamental right. Slowly, more and more communities should move into forward class and one day all castes should be equal.

The struggle of man is to make this imperfect world less imperfect. Reservations-based-on-caste is not a perfect system. But that does not mean we will discard it. And when it comes to OBC issue we do know that many flaws exist, but we will go ahead implement it and work towards improving it.

The alternative

According to Kancha Iliah the only alternative to caste based reservation is to make education (higher) a fundamental right and to let every child learn three subjects in English and three subjects in regional languages across the country with a uniformly structured syllabus from class one onwards. If such a school system is put in place and all the tutorial institutions are banned, over a period of twenty five years from now reservation can be done away with.