Caste And The Reservation, A Menace In India

By Vinaya Gowda

When surname gets greater significance at times, mind wakes up to the grim reminder of how deeply ingrained the Indian caste system is. I cringe at the reference ‘your people’ while same caste people are being addressed. Religion unites the good and the bad when humanity doesn’t, so does the caste.

Constitution gives the right to reservation. It’s not the ‘right’ to be enjoyed by the privileged but to uplift people. It is not as relevant today as it was back then. Not being oblivious to the atrocities that backward class encounters, reservation is certainly not the solution. If it was, inequality would have been the thing of the past long ago. As much as we press on eliminating reservation, abolition of caste system gets discredited. Living on two edged sword, confusion can only exacerbate the situation. Solution may not just seem simple; it is simpler when strong political will takes the charge. All it takes is a law that amends the constitution but a revolution to start with.

A merit holder cries silently when a creamy layer, so called backward grabs a seat which one does not deserve. How do you expect fair treatment when you kill the merit? When backward remains a fancy tag to get ahead in life, why do we get offended at the reality check. If low income is the hindrance to progress, why not eliminate that first. In an effort to create equality, social divide has only widened further. When universal access to quality education irrespective of social background can eliminate inequality, hard work takes the forefront. Why is it a hard thing to do? Why rely on reservation instead.

‘Upper caste’ unfortunately gives sense of superiority to some which cannot be bogged down by law alone. One is placed at the highest position by his actions. Favoritism is as bad as nepotism, which keeps merit holders progress in check. Surname which denotes family caste should be discarded first. Often, asking for second name would mean finding out the caste background.

As long as one is not ashamed to claim benefits even after climbing up the social status by means of reservation, self realization has no role. ‘Right’ also comes with responsibilities. Low income cannot hold the basis for reservation either, as same would apply to their mindset as well. India’s backwardness gets amplified with more freebies. Who is responsible for poverty..? Does this reduce the population percentage that this group shares. Inclusiveness is good but not at the cost of someone’s penalty.

By Vinaya Gowda