Country where people fight to be called “Backward”
Government (or Sonia) finally introduced the Women’s 33% reservation bill and it was approved by RS. The path forward isn’t straightforward as it would need 66% majority in Lok Sabha as it is a Constitutional Amendment. At the same time Mulayam Singh’s Samajwadi Party has asked for Muslim reservation within Women’s reservation. BJP has naturally opposed it. This has raised Muslim reservation issue once again.
As per Constitution of India, reservation in Education and Government jobs cannot be provided on basis of Religion, but only on basis of caste (Thanks to Ambedkar). So unfair, since there are no castes in Muslims and Christians, reservations became monopoly of Hindus. Of course, constitution can be amended. As today Muslim leaders (self-proclaimed) have re-iterated their demand for 10% reservation rejecting Congress’s proposal of 3% reservation within OBC quota. Some committee called Sachar reached to conclusion some time ago that with exception of certain creamy layer, Muslim community is as backward as Hindu SC and ST and more backward than Hindu OBCs. Very interesting!! I did not know there are parameters to measure how backward you are.
We have become perhaps the only nation in the world where people fight to be called backward!
- N R Narayana Murthy
Today reservations are providing backdoor entry into India’s most premier institutes – IITs, IIMs and into the most coveted government jobs like IAS and IPS and now in Parliament and Assemblies. Also, some are dreaming of having reservations in private sector. Naturally, it has resulted in cut-throat competition between various communities (I would say all communities whose name does not contain Brahmin) to prove themselves as more backward than someone else and try to get classified as some caste (as backward as possible). I remember many satyagrahas and dharanas have happened in Maharashtra by so many prominent communities to get listed under OBCs. Now, they are joined by Muslim leaders, thanks to provocation by some of our most eminent politicians. If reservation can be given on caste, gender, economic status then why not on religion?
What we need to remember is no society who has shut doors to merit can prosper. That is applicable to communities under reservations as well. It is very clear from statistics that certain minor percentage of families from these communities have taken benefit of reservation again and again over generations and this has ensured vast majority remains backward (with what parameters, I don’t know), which keeps on justifying the overall backward status of the caste. What should be seen is how this reservation can be reduced over period of time. But that’s not the case. Today we have 50% barrier for all reservations put together. A constitutional amendment is sufficient to change that.