Rajartha
Reservation, Is this for Social Injustice
By Manohar Manoj, Editor, Economy India
Reservation, which is termed as synonymous to the social justice in India has been one of the most debated political topic in last 65 years of post independence period. The political reservation given to the SC and ST for the legislative houses followed by job reservation in the government services, latter on percolated in the form of Mandal commission during 1970 decades. Reservation for SC and ST was provisioned just at the time of making of the Indian constitution. Though it was said that reservation will be valid for the next 10 yrs only. But at every 10 years it was extended through constitutional amendment.
It is notable here that this move of extension of SC ST reservation has never been opposed by any section of social groups or political parties in India. But mandal commission which was formed for the purpose of providing job reservation for the other backward casts of the society, brought lots of fur ore among the upper castes. It consequently country witnessed a very heated debate and agitation on all public forums whether reservation was justified or not. It was observed that a deep demarcation have got erupted between reservationist and anti reservationist in the country. Today, we have two opposing groups of pro reservationist and anti reservationist in the country. On the one side pro reservationist are of the view that thousand of caste who were suppressed for the thousands of years will get or getting an outlet through the policy of reservation. On the other side anti reservationist say the policy of reservation is actually against the basic principal of justice and equality in itself.
Let's try to see what the core truth of the both plea is. Both the line of plea contain half truth and half false. The first plea that thousands of castes have been suppressed for hundreds of years, it is very much factual and historically true, but reservation has really helped them, it is not true. On the other side, anti reservationists say that this policy is basically against the ideology of justice. It is true but if they say OBC SC ST Communities will be always remain inefficient in this system, only upper castes are efficient, it is totally wrong. Now we try to know as a nation and society as a whole what do we want? Do we want to achieve actual social justice for the 3/4th population of the country?.
Reservation, which is basically meant for social justice, has it really been instrumental in achieving the objective of social justice for the 80 percent population of the country. Is it really able to provide equality of opportunity to the all in the country or it is just proved as a political clout which benefits those who are indulged in the politics of backward castes? In actual terms this policy of reservation both political and administrative have been helpful in making some people MP, MLA, IAS and PCS out of some elite backwards through creating caste emotion and caste vote bank and the whole process of social justice ends up here only. This objective would be never being achieved through policy of reservation, neither in the past nor in the future.
What we see 70 crore backward population are at the same place where they were earlier. They are no where the ambit of benefit of reservation, even majority of them, did not fulfill the first step to find the benefit of reservation.
70 crore backward population are no where within the ambit of benefit of reservation, even majority of them, does not fulfill the first step to find the benefit of reservation. The thing which should have done for getting the objective of social justice in the country, that was not done at all in last 60 yrs? It was the creation of social infrastructure and major program of social empowerment for this major chunk of population.
This agenda was dimmed under the policy of reservation, the policy which was for the sake of immediate benefit of elite backwards, one who had better economic background and better access to the education and human development. 60 percent of OBC population and 90 percent of ST ST population is illiterate and ignorant and they are actually suffering from social injustice. This objective was never taken into account by the pro reservationist. Because reservation was cause for the elite OBC but non elite OBC were utilized in creating emotion of backwardism and doing so they were deprived from the empowerment process. So, what we see the majority of population have not got social justice in the country and their whole lot have been buried under the interest of elite backwards in terms of reservation.
Roughly 65 percent dalit population and 45 percent OBC population in India are illiterate. Among the OBC literate, if we count the percentage of high school, UG and PG and technically qualified people, it would be around not more than 10 percent of Dalit and OBC population. This is the population which is fighting with upper caste for getting the benefit of job reservation and admission in educational institutions but they represent themselves as if they are fighting for the all backwards. Until unless we have mega empowerment program of social and educational empowerment the present program of social justice is meaningless. Pro reservationist says the reservation quota of job and admission is not being fulfilled. But do they think why these quotas are not being fulfilled. This is shame for our whole system that 65 percent OBC population is not able to fulfill even 26 percent quota. At the same time 24 percent SC ST population is not able to fulfill 24 percent reservation. The reasons are obvious. According to the law of proportion, the eighty percent population of dalits and OBC must have say over the 80 percent of this system, it is not happening because for getting the reservation one should have to be educated, which is not heeded. Fundamental question is empowerment, not the reservation, because it act as crutch,
Actually, one who gets the benefit of policy of reservation, he can get it without reservation also, so our main agenda should huge investment in the social empowerment program for the rest of OBC and Dalit class. Reservationist say, proportion of different OBC SC ST castes in different government jobs are pathetic, every year govt. releases data of it, will it not be a better option, let government bring a full human development status of all weaker castes of the society, how many of them are literate, how many of them are under matric, matric pass, UG, PG, Technically qualified etc. how many of them are getting bank loans, how many of them got their land right, how much resources have been allocated for the upliftment of backward classes etc..
If datas related to this are pessimistic, every year it should be reviewed and analysed. There should be mass campaign for it. If the empowerment process is slow and suffering from lackluster, reservationists should organize a mass movement for it. This would not be a social justice; rather it would be a greater social justice which is earnestly required for the Indian society. Only this move will be able to include about one billion backwards in the mainstream of country.
It is irony that in our country every thing is solved in a patches or considered according to different vested groups, which is not in the greater interest of society and nation as whole, that is why we have ignored the question of agriculture at the cost of industry and rural development at the cost of urbanization.
The context of reservation has changed now. Previously politics was being applied behind every policy and program of development, now economics is being considered behind any development programs. That is why whenever we talk about development we talk about infrastructure. Because everybody knows this facts infrastructure is prerequisite for the development. Roads, railways, transport and communication, electricity, without it we can not bring development. If it is such then how can we ensure social justice and community development without creation of social infrastructure?
This is fact, upper caste are still dominating the whole system which is unjustified according to law of proportion but at the same time reservation for the OBC is also equally unjustified because it nurture few elite at the cost of masses. In this county the greater social justice would be only ensured when 80 percent share come under the hand of OBC. It is ensured only when social empowerment is guaranteed.
Today in this country politics of reservation is hot and has taken a separate root now. Previously backwards were treating upper caste as their class enemy. And now the elite OBC and SC ST have given opportunity to other non beneficiary caste. So among the dalits, mahadalits have emerged, among the OBC , extreme backwards and among the Muslims, pasmanda have emerged as their rival groups. Today Gurjars are fighting with Meena community in Rajsthan, because they think that almost whole ST reservation in India is galloped by single Meena community of Rajsthan. So this will have never ending story. And politicians are using this ploy in their vote bank interest Now politics is being done dalit vs. mahadalit, backwards vs. extreme backwards, Paasmanda vs. Upper caste Muslims etc.
There are many more points which should be discussed in the context of reservation. One should consider it whether the present creation of job sufficient enough to absorb 30 crore youth of this country. Our social status would be determined by government jobs only. How much this reservation would benefit the process of self employment in agriculture, trade and industry?
In India small industries did not rise till they get reservation. When reservation was removed they started to compete big industries rather they started to beat them on many front like export, employment generation and foreign exchange. This is reality that crutch of reservation will never help the cause of weaker class; they will have to give empowerment program at mass scale. And this would be real social justice and greater social justice for the billion of backwards.
