against inequality

Reservations and inequality.

The Govt. of India is currently in the process of implementing various measures aimed at ameliorating the unfortunate lot of 'lower castes', and 'other backward classes'. The word 'Reservation' is one which has divided the country down the centre and lead to quite a bit of unhappiness in recent times.

I am not going to talk about the historical details of why reservations exist. But then,, maybe, I should. The 'lower castes' have been, for long treated awfully by the 'higher castes'. The wrongs against them were to have been corrected by a decade or so of remedial measures. This was the idea at the time the Constitution was written. But government after government found it convenient to keep reservations going without actually probing the efficacy of the process. There are numerous statistics pointing in both directions; numbers which show that at the grassroot level, changes have occurred and more people are being educated. Also numbers which show that some of our most prestigious universities have students who have been admitted under reservations and are barely keeping up.

The suggestion that the 'creamy layer' of people under reservations be excluded, on the basis of them not needing any further help was met with skepticism. In a country where people claim to have five extra family members in order to get some more rice from the ration shops, who is going to identify the creamy layer. And given the fact that it is this highly vocal creamy layer which is the cause of the current amendments, what are the the chances that an SC/ST/OBC will voluntarily sign his name off the reservation list. And some of our ministers have suggested that after implementing 30% or 40% or whatever reservations, the reduction in the number of general category seats can be made up by increasing the overall intake. Which will dilute the reservations to a lower percentage. Which must then be made up (to make things Constitutional). Which means we have to increase the intake further to accommodate more general category students. And so on. It appears as if I am alone in seeing an infinite loop here.

My 'umble suggestions:
1.Conduct an accurate and verifiable economic census.
2.Help people based on income. Not caste, not any other criterion.
3.If someone stops a 'lower caste' bloke from entering a temple/building/toilet/swimming pool, then jail the someone.
4.When someone receives help, let it be in terms of tuition fees for a school/college. Let them win a seat based on pure merit. Then the govt. can take over the financial burden. Allowing for quotas in the admission system itself simply dilutes the quality of students.

Reservations do not promote equality. At least not in their current form. The idea behind helping those who need help is a noble one. Unfortunately, it has been perverted to the immediate goals of those in power and their cohorts. It is time things were made right.