To All My Brothers and Sisters,
I’m writing this based on my knowledge on the Caste-based reservation system in India. The Caste-based reservation system is introduced while framing our Constitution.
This Reservation system was set to last for a limited time (10-15 yrs) or 2 Decades so as to bring all the caste communities under one roof at an equal level by providing them equal opportunities.
But soon the politics intervened and used it as a strategy for a guaranteed vote bank instead of eradicating caste based reservations systems and as a result what we have today is the controversy whether it is required or not.
We are following the Caste-based reservation system from the time Indian Constitution is formed. Still, we are following the same System which has no effect now.
So, instead of talking about the religious past of the caste system, let us take an objective look at:
- What the Reservation system hopes to achieve
- Equality of opportunity & autonomy/social safety net Vs Equality of outcome debate
What percentage of poor people (urban vs rural) are present in India and the number of disadvantaged people in this category - How many people benefit from reservation every year
- Distribution of the Caste-based reservation system – what percent of disadvantaged actually benefit from this system.
- How it has affected the demographics/income and society over the last few decades
- How poverty rates have changed over the years
- Has reservation changed anything in terms of caste distribution of the poor
- Has reservation system improved quality & educational performance
- How is the reservation system performing
- The future
There was a time when certain reservations were given to the Backward classes because otherwise, they would never be able to sustain the jobs that the General classes enjoyed.
This was a solution to uplift the backward classes as they were truly backward. Backward classes were not even allowed to study with the common public.
It is a fact that people would have sidelined a backward class fellow even at the workplace. So reservation is school quota and the workforce was introduced an evolutionary step in that era.
But I believe times have changed.
Like medicines are modified with new diseases.
Like law is amended with new crimes.
Like we have clauses in every Article and Acts in our Constitution. And it keeps on adding and evolving with time.
I believe it is time to modify our reservation criteria for the Backward.
This is because every person claiming to be hailing from Backward class is not actually backward. They were backward at some point of time in the past. But giving them an undue advantage “blindly” today, to nullify the ill-behavior of the unreserved class yesterday is not a solution to the problem!
Due to this system, many unworthy people get into places they don’t deserve. For example in the below fields
- Medical Field
- Engineering Field
- State and Govt Jobs(Defence, Navy, Army and much more)
Reservation is not a reward for No Work. It is an instrument of Change.
Reservation is a ray of hope to the Backward man to raise himself up as a respected citizen of the nation. He wants to get rid of the stigma of being inferior.
So I conclude that Reservation is blameless while the Caste System is blameworthy. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was an agent of change. He did his best to instill common sense in corrupt men. The blame lies with them for an ineffective and inefficient use of the Reservation System.