Caste Based Reservations - A Social Stigma

The word reservations brings out extreme emotions among both supporters and opposers of caste based reservation in India. Anything which gives hint of opposition to reservations attracts ire of pro-reservation groups just like what we are witnessing in the case of forthcoming movie "Aarakshan" which supposedly discusses reservation. The bottom line is that if a section of people are given some privileges over others, obviously those who are subject to these privileges never want to loose them and those who don't receive any special treatment naturally show their resentment, regardless of any social inequalities, under-representation, blah blah blah as mentioned in the constitution.

Those who are against reservations fume with the very thought and express their resentment on Dr BR Ambedkar, who was the champion of caste based reservation system in India. I belong to a socially forward community (that's what they say so) and hence was subject to discrimination caused by caste based reservations as I was judged to be somebody who commit atrocities against weaker sections and hence don't need or deserve any privileges today.

So naturally I hated reservations which made me go green with envy over less deserving, less intelligent, less worthy classmates of mine gaining an envious admission in an elite college despite being richer and socially well settled than me, just because of his birth in a so called "weaker section" (I remember that guy committing atrocities against people of my community - against all theories, books and manuscripts supporting reservation). I argued with everybody who supported reservations but with age, maturity, constructive debates, access to information came wisdom enough to understand the reason for this unavoidable thing called reservation.

Speaking about history, untouchability, atrocities on weaker sections were (are still in some places) rampant throughout India during last many centuries. Dalits were traditionally involved in "non-ritual" activities like butchering, scavenging, cleaning due to which they were kept away from temples, water bodies so as not to "pollute" the society. But this inhuman untouchability stayed beyond generations and other sections of Hinduism like brahmins (known for mental ability), kshyatriyas (known for political power), vyshyas (known for economic power), shudras (known for hardword) treated dalits in the same light regardless of occupation.

Dr Ambedkar happens to be one of the brightest scholars India has ever seen but had to fight the entire system to claim what he deserved because he belongs to dalit community. After the struggles he had to face, he wanted a system which could support people of his background as not everybody could fight like him. Infact the revolution he brought about was as powerful and great as independence struggle itself and no wonder he is considered a God by those who avail reservations today.

He identified the problem in the society and hence offered a solution. But neither he nor his generation expected that the solution will create many more problems because of the nature of judgement of who "weaker sections are in the current era"

Dr. Ambedkar, a scholar himself, knew the problem reservations could cause. He understood that the quality of education and service would dramatically diminish if caste was made a criteria instead of merit and hence proposed a initial cap of reservations for 5 years to uplift a generation of downtrodden and oppressed sections. He argued that merit doesn't make any sense until all sections are put in a same level. Completely agreed. But equating social backwardness only with caste background was a historic blunder which every Indian with head over his shoulders will and should acknowledge.

Just like dalits are traditionally oppressed, brahmins are traditionally poor. Kshyatriyas are no longer kings or noblemen after disintegration of princely states in independent India. Vysyas are not the only community doing businesses and shudras are not limited to their sub-caste based vocations anymore. Under these circumstances what should be the criteria to decide who are sufferers and who need support from the Government ?

Brahmins who are known to be oppressors are facing anti-brahminsm movement in states like Tamil Nadu, they are operating sulabh shauchalay (toilet facilities and scavenging - which formed reasons for aboloshing dalits from society). Recently, a person who was favored to be the next Karnataka CM was rubbished by media by saying "being a brahmin is his disadvantage". Same way with other sections of Hindus too. Kshyatriyas are not given any noble status in the society just because their forefathers were rulers, vyshyas are not given additional subsidies and licenses because they belong to so and so community. KR Narayanan, Mayawati etc - eminent dalits are glaring examples to the abolishment of caste paradigm in India today. I so wish to give another example as A.Raja's name (yes, the same 2G scam guy) who now claims that he is framed only because he is a dalit and belongs to oppressed class. Now who are oppressors and who are sufferers ?? Who should get reservation and why ??

Coming back to Ambedkar's vision, 5 year cap for reservation was a valid reform taking into consideration the social strata then. It means a downtrodden family which avails reservation for one generation or two, three, four or even five generations should be settled socially, economically (as that's the goal of reservation). But how many sensible people will agree that reservations for the same family for many more generations to come on a permanent basis necessary ?? If the family is not uplifted even after 6 decades of reservations and pampering, isn't there something seriously going wrong ?? If they are uplifted, isn't there a need to relax reservation to that family ?? Is Government doing anything to know who is uplifted, who is not, who is downtrodden, who is suffering, who needs support, who is under privileged ?

Another senseless argument to provide these blanket reservations on caste basis is to create opportunities to under represented classes. Means some education, job, political position, government offices should have representation from all castes. BUT why do we need representation from all castes ? What has caste to do with the kind of education or job ? Who can be sure that by providing opportunity to only certain communities, every community is represented fairly ? The whole circus called reservations is only to abolish this social stigma called caste system, but on the contrary the same caste system is now exploited to the most to decide percentages, divide society and create polarization - thanks to vote-bank politics.

Parties which openly embrace backward sections, dalits, minorities etc are bound to get votes and that's democracy in India. If a stupid politician abuses Hindus, all muslims will vote for him, if an idiot massacres Muslims, Hindus will vote for him, if somebody abuses brahmins, all so called "oppressed classes" will vote for him. Exit polls, opinion polls decide who wins a constituency by calculating how many people of a certain caste vote there. Under these circumstances, its not a surprise if politicians extend and expand reservations for years, decades, generations, centuries etc based on caste regardless of measuring the success, metrics, need or not. That's the travesty, India is going through currently. Dr. Ambedkar didn't expect this when he proposed reservations.

For a moment, lets assume every caste is equally represented in social offices, education, jobs, politics etc. So what ? How is this beneficial to the country, society, prosperity ? Those who deserve opportunities, those who can change the face of prosperity of the nation, if not given an opportunity will move to some other country, other opportunity and invest their knowledge in developing their new abode. Brain drain, that is. If such intelligentsia (both forward and backward castes) given proper financial and economic support, would have changed the face of India in the last 6 decades of independence.

Indian media shamelessly goes hammers and tongs when a Sir Naipaul, Venky get nobel prizes. Those eminent intelligentsia never acknowledge they are Indians, but we kiss their as**s because India is not made to utilize genuine indigenous merit and glitterati. This can be easily comprehended when one visits government offices, government hospitals etc, where representation from all "castes" reflects diminishing standards of service. But who cares !!!

Even after all this drama, if the weaker sections are genuinely uplifted or not is another story. After SC quota comes another fight as who deserves more reservation - madigas or malas etc. Even shockingly, there are certain castes which want to put themselves strongly under scheduled castes instead of backward castes to avail more reservations. Read: Gujjars of Rajasthan who erupted in a protest few years back for this reason. It means the downtrodden people love to be downtrodden forever and even those who are put under a higher caste wants to demote themselves to a downtrodden and oppressed community. And somebody told me that reservations was all about uplifting communities and providing them a platform of equality so that they can live with same "dignity" like other forward castes do.

I always wonder if all oppressed, backward and weaker sections are willing to forgo their reservations in exchange to all dignified life standards, rights, social status, aggression and superiority that brahmins, vyshyas or kshatriyas enjoy. Any answers ??