Arakshan

I honestly don’t remember asking any of my elders what reservation was. Considering that “arakshan” is in the news eight out of seven days of the week, I should’ve asked the question anyway at some point of time. But seems like I’ve heard about it since forever, and maybe that’s why, there was never a need to ask. 

The whole CONCEPT of reservation in India gets me angry. And so, I might seem biased as you read. I might even be.

Personally, I’ve seen a lot of my cousins fly out to study, or to work. I always asked why. My cousins’ response?  “Well, if I have to get a 107% to get into a reputed institution, or have to be in the 0.01% general category to get a government job, I’d rather go to Somalia.” Sure we would laugh about it, but there was resentment. We all knew it, we all had it. Talk about brain drain.

Reservations were introduced in independent India to battle the caste system. It was introduced to bridge the gap between the so called upper castes and the ‘dalits’. But we forget that it was to be abandoned after a few decades of independence. That would be the government’s job. However, that would mean a massive loss of votes, because well, vote banks. Today, even the financially comfortable ‘scheduled castes’ make use of the reserved facility. They have access to the best facilities, get the best of education, and yet go for the quota. Who wouldn’t if they had the opportunity? Lower qualifications, easy seats. I’ve had friends who’ve availed the same. This was not what the reservations had been introduced for.

Don’t get me wrong here, I’m all for equality and giving opportunity to the disadvantaged. However, I don’t think giving reservations on the basis of ancient caste systems. Reservations should be given. But on one’s economic status, not social.

Reservations were established to do away the differences between the so called upper and lower castes. However, reservations aren’t doing it. If anything, the divide is growing, bigger and stronger, with the resentment that the general caste feels towards them. There’s a need to uplift the masses, there’s a need for quality and this will come through reservation, but not based on some ancient caste system, but based on economic status. We need change. And we need it now.

Ana Saran

20153002