“Reservations are now the interest collected by pick pocketing the future of India, paid by politicians for loans from their vote banks”- MJ Akbar

 AT the time of independence there had been lot of disparity among the Indian population as regards as the avenues of life i.e. good education, good health, good living etc are concerned .This lack of avenues of life was more prevalent in the people belonging to lower castes in Indian social stratification. Thus the Haves were from upper castes and Have-nots from lower castes. To uplift the living and morale of these have-nots, Indian government tempered with the right to equality granted in Indian constitution and introduced the provision of reservation for the people belonging to scheduled castes/tribes for admissions to educational institutions, recruitment to government jobs and representation  in political institutions. This provision for reservation was introduced for ten years. With the passage of time the castes which were given reservation and preferential treatment realized their real potential of voting rights granted to them in modern-day democracy and system of governance. These enlightened castes evolved a class feeling amongst them and became a strong block and started voting for congress party en-masse. Haves (creamy) among this reserved block too started enjoying the power of government and sided strongly with the congress party and influenced these castes to vote for congress. What else a political party which needs votes to remain in power wants? To give extension of reservation indefinitely beyond ten years became very easy thing for congress party to get sure votes. The en-masse voting response from reserved castes in every general election in favor of congress lured the congress party to go ahead with continuance of reservation. The provision of reservation in constitution which was introduced as a sincere effort to uplift the downtrodden became the corrupt practice to garner votes and remain in power. The importance of voting block was soon realized by other political parties also and they also be-lined for reservation cause and tried to ensure some space for them in the minds of people belonging to SC/STs.

The continuance of reservation for SC/STs and further inclusion of 27% more reservation for OBC’s in jobs and now in institutes of higher education has stirred the nation. The youth of India is anguished and the present nationwide agitation against this decision is an outcome of heartburn and melancholy. This is enough of vote-bank games and govt. policies are becoming major bone of contention and are further dividing the society and nation at large into pro and anti reservationists.

The champions of reservation have their own vested interests which they have to cater to at any cost. For this they can go to any extent and exploit the sentiments of people. By shouting about necessity of reservation, thereby providing nourishment to their nurseries of hatred and divide in social fabric of country. These champions of social justice never bother about the plight of children of farm, factory and brick-Killen workers but their heart beats for the people who vote for them.

To earn the tags of messiahs of downtrodden, some radical reservation champions who are also honorable members of union cabinet and sucking the fruits of power, are trying to soak their breads of opportunism in the heat of anti reservation stir.

These self styled messiahs have started giving open ultimatums and challenges to Indian corporate to introduce reservation in recruitment process on the lines of government or else face the music, such threats are given through electronic/print media so that their concern for weaker sections penetrates deep into their constituency hence securing votes for them forever. These champions want that Indian corporate recruit the reserved label human resource which may not be of any use to them but still they pay heftily to them as VOTE ROGUES want this. These champions shout about violation of Indian constitution whenever some body talks of merit and cons of reservation for country ignoring the fact that reservation at first place is gross violation of spirit of constitution. Even Dr. B.R.Ambedkar whose name this brigade uses for promoting divide in society was not in favor of open reservation forever but wanted horizontal mobility among SCs and wanted reservation only for a decade.

In the present national scene of anti reservation stir if Youth for Equality or any other organization against reservation thinks that they can deter the government or other political parties from extending reservation now, adding more in future and  put the reservation pill in the throat of corporate sector too, then they are badly mistaken.   

The government’s decision to go ahead with more reservation in institutions of higher education from the year 2007 exhibits the resolve of political parties to do whatsoever is required to garner votes for them. If we look into this resolve we conclude that the real issue is Votes and hence Power and not reservation alone.

“In childhood stories there would have been a magician who carried many powers with him and no body in his times could dare to defeat him. Despite being so powerful, magician’s life used to rest in a small parrot. If one wished to overpower the magician, one had to control the parrot first, magician would follow the suit.”

If we relate this story to present context, the Magician is the political parties and the Parrot is the votes (seats of Parliament). If one wishes to awake the political parties of gross injustice to merit with continuance of reservation, then one has to control the votes. The message is clear to present day agitating youth; they will have to rise, organize themselves into a political party, context elections, get votes, and become a pressure group in Parliament to counter the sinister designs of pro-reservationists. This may sound like kidding but it is true, they may not get considerable votes or seats in Parliament but definitely will give sleepless nights to present political bosses who have taken the upper

Castes for granted. The proposed political party should not preach morality in public life and waste time but should have only one aim, i.e. No Reservation in India, only Merit.

Anti reservation pressure group in Parliament can act as a counter to Pro-reservation pressure group (Voting Rogues), which hitherto is taking every government for a ride.

In modern day world “The Power do not flows from the barrel of gun but from the ballots of voting box or by the touch at voting machines.”

                     Some views FOR and AGAINST Reservation:

For:

There is visible up-lift in majority of low caste people; they are engineers, doctors, bureaucrats, land owners, politicians, ministers, MP’s, MLA’s and probably in all walks of life. This has become possible only due to reservation otherwise this wouldn’t have happened at all. If we compare government sector to corporate sector, there is negligible presence of people belonging to SCc/STc/OBCc in corporate sector, this is only because of lack of reservation there. The means of opportunities should be distributed according to population of people; hence there should be even representation/distribution of people and resources in all spheres of life in a democracy. Small group of people should not corner the majority of resources due to any advantage they have had.

Against:

By definition who is a weaker/down trodden person? The answer is that person who has no money to get good food, good education, good means to develop and good job or business for better living. From where the caste comes into picture? If any body belonging to SC/ST/OBC caste cannot get good education, clothes, other means to study, he/she can get free education throughout i.e. primary, secondary, higher level, can get scholarship for general expenses during education. After getting all this he/she is equal to any other person of upper caste i.e. Graduate/Post Graduate. From where the weakness comes here?  Why reservation for job? How much one needs for an uplift. This section is getting every thing on platter, for free. Free education, free money for surviving, reservation for education, for jobs and for out of turn promotion in jobs. What else? Is every thing in country will be given to SCs/STs/OBCs only because they have 150 MPs in Parliament who continuously speak for them? Are sons/daughters of bureaucrats, politicians and rich people down trodden or weaker? Why 3^rd generations of them are getting reservations? How much they will need to come out of weakness. This provision is further dividing the society. In all professional colleges there become two groups of students, students belonging to reserved category and are termed as “Quota Group” and general category students’ Quota group remains separate from general category students. Assurance of reservation in jobs to reserved category students mars their competitiveness as they are sure of getting admissions/jobs easily without any competition.

RESERVATION IN CORPORATE SECTOR:

Now Government is preparing to implement the reservation in corporate sector too! In corporate sector for any position interviews are held and any body having degree in Engineering//MBA or other professional qualifications is eligible for selection. There is no mention of candidates’ caste on his/hers’ degree. It’s purely one’s own competence by which one gets selected. If candidates belonging to reserved category who are otherwise Engineers or MBAs are not able to make into final selection due to their own incompetence, then the Corporate or the candidates belonging to general category are not at fault. At fault are those who are not performing even after getting every thing free and reserved throughout their lives.

It is general view that there is no value of merit, competence and capability in Government sector and the Government is trying to give the same treatment to Corporate sector also where all these virtues have high value and regard.          

If at all the Government and political parties are bent upon giving preferential treatment to SCs/STs/OBCs then they should give every thing free to them throughout their lives i.e. clothes,books,education, money as survival allowance but certainly not the reservation for admissions in educational institutions, jobs and promotions. Otherwise this amounts to strangulating the people belonging to castes who do not belong to SCs/STc/OBCs, by their own governments.