Reservations in private sector
Posted : July 27, 2004 at 8:47 pm [IST]
In last some weeks, I happened to watch a number of programmes on TV channels where the subject of discussion was the privatization in private sector. NDTV had the subject in its Saturday ‘The Battle’ and ‘Mukabala’ in Hindi. DD News channel had a question and answer session with Assocham’s Shri Agrawal.
I have honestly tried to understand the issue of reservation in private industry raised by Shri Ram Bilash Paswan and incorporated by the new UPA government in CMP (Common Minimum programme). Maharashtra Government in the meantime already came out with legislation. I have failed to understand what the UPA wants.
I spent the whole of my professional career working in private companies. No one bothered ever to find the caste composition of employees. Naturally, the maximum employment in good days of 60s in my automobile company was in ranks of operators and helpers. It was all free for every able bodied persons who were willing to work sincerely. Let me be very frank. We certainly preferred more boys from states other than West Bengal. Reason was simple. Local boys were more union minded. No other consideration such as religion or caste came in for considerations even in dreams.
For all the technical jobs, the consideration was always academic qualifications, grades, college/institution image, personality, communication power etc, but it was never caste. We never allowed even mentioning of caste in application forms. Naturally all promotions used to be through merit rating and appraisals.
I am sure in all the big manufacturing companies, the system was same. Some of them had good training schools and the good boys of the schools were employed based on vacancies. I am sure none of the companies asks for mentioning the caste of the applicant even now. I strongly feel that to be the very right approach.
I personally feel those asking for reservations are just political leaders of persons with vested interest and hardly understand the basic structure of a company. I remember once I was to employ some 50 helpers who were to basically for material handling between the machines. I kept a heavy part in my office as test piece, as that or similar part was to be lifted and kept in a trolley before moving that to next station. The union raised objection. I explained them and they agreed. I never knew what the castes of the persons selected were. .
Let me confess I am dead against any type of reservation based on religion and or caste. I do not think these two criteria as a natural dividing logic between human beings. These are created at later stage of human history by vested interests. It creates a division in society. The leaders of the society must at least remove the caste system from the Hindu community. Religion must be dynamic. It must change the practices that are anti-religion or anti-society. I appeal to political leader to refrain from raising these issues. For any one getting benefited in employment or promotion though reservation or quota of any type may be even management quota, the life becomes humiliating and that is for the whole life.
Recently I saw an advertisement of Delhi Government. It is providing special coaching to students of underprivileged class to help them compete. The government, private enterprises and other NGOs should come forward in large number and provide all sorts of intensive training and education to the underprivileged class free.
As such, the caste system is the blackest part of the Hindu society. Unfortunately, even other communities such as Islam, Sikhism, as well as Christianity where I thought there are no such divisions, the reality is different. I am socked to hear of dalit Muslims, dalit Sikhs, and dalit Christians. Reservation on basis of community and caste in unnatural and must be abandoned. It has already done a lot of harm by dividing the society. Our constitution provided it for a short period, but it continues even today after 55 years. Let it not be there any more.
- Indra
Category: Religious/Social issues |
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