Indra’s Drishtikona (Viewpoint)

Battle for Reservations- Is it necessary?

Posted : April 29, 2006 at 11:15 am [IST]

I sent one of my blog entries as usual to patnadaily.com. It was on the new episode of reservation that is credited to Arjun Singh. (The first one was credited to VP Singh. Fortunately or unfortunately, both claim to belong to king class) I don’t know if the reservation for underpriviledged classes of Indians is limited to only entrance examination or it is meant for all the subsequent examinations too. Will it also mean requesting, asking, or coercing the prospective employers visiting the institutes for employment too to provide preferential treatment to passing out graduates.

From the comments on my letter about reservations, it appears it has created a furore. The whole country today is divided on the issue of latest political onslaught on the society through reservations of tow different types but mainly meant for minority community, particularly Muslims and historically under-privileged castes - OBC, SC, and ST.

Recently introduced reservation for OBCs taking the percentage of reservations in central institutes of higher education to about 50% is getting debated and even protests are being organized. I have some more observations to make.

Our country has given opportunities to people of all castes. We are not sure about the caste of Ashoka, The Great or his grandfather. Perhaps as many say they belonged to lower caste as per the present definition. For that matter many other reputed kings in India were even ’sudras’. The society gave equal respects to them.

Why should in this 21st century the nation face this fuss? Perhaps, it proves that India lives simultaneously in different ages of development. The modern science doesn’t provide any firm answer if the intelligence level of a historically underprivileged is lower because of its pedigree. Students of all castes can compete equally well for any examination. If it would not have been so, Eklavya a tribal could have been so good an archer nor Baba Ambedkar could become the father of Indian constitution. So it is possible if the parents just don’t create hindrance in the education of their children and encourage them if they look for. Finances can certainly be arranged for their schooling, special coaching, boarding and food.

Even history has ample proof that the caste system that started with perhaps 4 varnas (based on color of skin) proliferated based on professions people adopted for living. Why should then we not transform or evolve accordingly even today. The other day when I called an electrician, he happened to be Brahmin. Many teachers are of SC/ST, so they are Brahmin by profession, and their pupils of traditionally higher castes must respect them. The company that I served was of Vaishya. Could I, based on my caste, stop saluting the boss?

Perhaps one solution may be a new way of the identification of one’s caste, something like Parsi community using suffix of ‘tobacowalla’, ‘engineer’, and ‘baltiwala’. Hindus must also use new suffixes based on their current professions such as ‘mason’, ‘carpenter’, ‘plumber’, ‘engineer’, ‘manager’, and ‘CA’. Why should they stick to the traditional castes?

Reservations based on history will not take the nation anywhere. It appears to be dividing the nation, and creating cleavages between people of different castes. Let the younger generation think about it seriously.

The letter in patnadaily.com has received maximum number of comments among all the letters that got published on the site till date. Why Bihar is so caste conscious?

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Category: Government Policy/Administration |