Reservation - who's the winner?

I remember the day, I was just back from school. My 7 year old brother came rushing to me and shot this at me.."bhai reservation kya hota hai..." (brother, what is reservation) the question was beyond my years. Today, I think the answer would have been difficult even for a more mature person. However, even then it left me wondering, how did this little kid even think of a question like this. It was the news of the protests against the recommendations of mandal commission and the self-immolation attempt of Rajiv Goswami that was the topic of discussion at every nook and cranny of the city. Probably the kid mighthave overheard somebody. What is the effect it must have had on him? In the simplest terms, I guess he must have atleast realized that there are people who are being favoured by the government even without scoring "good marks". It could have been then, that the concept of 'somebody's different' might have occurred to him. It is this difference that one carries all through his life and builds further apprehensions and prejudice against another human being.

Rajiv Goswami, engulfed in flames. - Sept 19th, 1990.

Today, after 16 years of mandal commission, just as we thought there's some fresh thinking and pragmatic approach in the country's policy making, we are again pitted against the same question. What is the effect of politically inspired moves of the policy makers. Is it really a delivering effect or a dividing one? A true citizen of India would be sad to think that the indian policy making has absolutely run out of ideas to help uplift the backward class and are still resorting to a measure that promises to keep them exactly that - backward.

In the 21st century the brahmin and the feudal dominance is decreasing from every sphere of life. Not only visibly in action but also in thoughts. The concept of untouchability does not find many takers in the generation X. For all we know is that the vote inspired vicious minds are trying to keep the difference alive by playing the reservation card. Not that the concept of backward, lower caste has completely vanished into thin air, but it has decreased dramatically compared to what it was in the 1940s and 1950s when the reservation was born for good. Had it not been for continuation of reservation and the inability of the successive governments to decrease or modify it, the results would have been even better just because the striking difference between the upper and lower castes would not have been as glaring as it is now. Therefore today, the need of the hour is to continue to create awareness against untouchability, continue to educate people against caste system and at the same time provide better primary education to the backward class to build their self esteem and self confidence. Creating more boundaries and subdivision would do nothing but win or, for that matter, lose few extra votes.


More than the dividing effect reservation has, one has to think - does it really benefit the right people it is supposed to. My own experience and that of others' I have discussed this with, reveals it does not. People given easy access to medical, engineering, management colleges or govt jobs, on an average, do not fare well. A large number of seats are often left vacant and those who do occupy those seats more than often find it difficult to cope with the demanding course structures and syllabi. There are two factors behind this. The general tendency of the reserved seat candidate is to take it easy. The belief that they would atleast land a govt job either by reservation or some kind of 'jugad' makes them complacent enough not to put a sincere effort. The second factor, which is equally important, is that most of the times, students who lack the aptitude often ride on reservation to get into these spheres. Not that all students from backward classes appearing for the entrance exams lack aptitude but the lower benchmark makes it difficult to distinguish between the good and the poor student. By claiming that the lower benchmark does not harm merit, the supporters of reservation are putting a question mark on the effectiveness of the Examination process.

Therefore it would be better that instead of pushing a weak student into a highly demanding course, the governments puts a system in place that helps the student to compete with his peers - so that it is the academic or the intellectual weakness that is addressed rather than the fact that the student comes from a backward class. This system would be best effective if it includes students from all castes, religions, tribes or whatever parameters. For a start let it be targetted only towards the backward class. Ideas are plenty, but what is required is a selfless thought process, a sincere desire to help uplift the backward - something which is deliberately ignored by the sinister men in khakhi -All for the want of the precious vote.