Reservation

Reservation - this is the buzz word now in the Indian media. But the question is whether we are discussing the issue at right wave length ?! Everytime, when we see some news on the reservation - there comes a hue and cry from some portion of the country that it is a political gimmick and try to "color" the whole issue with their personal preferences.

There are, certainly, pros & cons in the reservation policy, overall - just like any other policy. But in the anxiety of forcing our opinion, we often tend to forget its implications - just as the case of implementation failure (or breadkdown) of the reservation policy in Independant India.

The main issues raised by those who agitate against reservation are:

• Vote bank politics
• Compromise in quality
• Creamy layer
  

But if you analyze in depth, we shall find ourselves that none of the above, for that matter any of the issue concerning with the reservation, is being discussed at right level.

"Vote bank politics" is the more reasonably a true weapon held against the reservation policy. No politician or political party in India at large has its intentions right when it comes to approaching the problem. But is it right to hold this weapon always when an attempt is made to uplift the under-previliged ? The very fact that it still remain as the base for vote bank politics itself stand testimonial to the truth that a substantial population is still starving as under-preliviged and there is absolutely no one to take care of them.

The concept or policy of reservation came into existence only based on the need for uplifting the under-previliged and not for creating vote banks. But things changed slowly and as we coninued to have general elections, the need had gone to the shadows and the vote bank villain surfaced.
But are the politicains are the only one to be blamed ? What about the bureaucrats? Why is that they are safely been kept out of all such accustations ?

A proper implementation of the reservation policy, had it been implemented, would have seen a lot of representation from the under-previliged section among top notch bureaucrats. Why it is not so now? If we take the case of the IITs/IIMs, well, we know pretty well whats the representation of the under-previliged section in the management.

In essence, the top crest bureucrats do not want to share their access much with of the section under discussion - but they don't get the beating for that- thanks to the Indian media who only require sensations and not senses as such.

The second intelligent argument is the "compromise in quality" in the event of implementation of reservation. There is nothing much to discuss this since the results from South India and especially TN - where the reservation is in place in educational institutions comfortably (even without any proper ordinance) for the past 3 decades. What quality has been lost ?

How it would be lost - unless there is compromise in quality of the teachers in such institution. Even this case doesn't speak well as the facts in the TN for the past 3 decades projects things otherwise. Did we fail to produce quality engineers/doctors. A suvey indicates that 79% of doctors in TN/South India belong to the backward community and we all know which is the health hub in India. Is there anyone to dispute this ?

The problem we may have is in the overall output from the institutions where reservations are being implemented - but then, it only shows the kind of lack of facilities/access for these under-previliged people in competing with those in the upper community.

Whose responsibility is to eradicate this ?

The most silliest argument is the argument on the Creamy layer. It is argued that many of the upper community people are still suffering economically whereas many of those who enjoyed the benefit of reservation are well placed - but still continue to enjoy such benefits for their further generations. The problem with this argument is that we are seeing the issue in isolation and not as the whole policy of reservation or the idea of improving the overall living style of all people. Recetnly, when there was an indication from the central government on the possible reduction in fee structure in the institutions of higher studies we saw the kind of agitation from these group.

Well, reservations were not there in place when this discussion came up and the seats were given only on merit, which means that, in view of those who argue against the reservation, only "quality" people can get a seat in IIT/IIM. But then they refused to cooperate with the reduction in fee structure which would have possilbly helped the "poor among eligible" and those reformers forgot to think about this creamy layer concept, then. They could have simply agreed to have some reservation based on economically backward category, when the proposed reservation was not in place originally - what stopped them ? And why is that they wanted raise it as an issue, now?
The simple fundemental ideological difficulty for those who vegemently oppose reservation is that they do not want to share the access to power to the other community and in their opinion that would dilute their representation in policy making or policy framing opportunities. The Indian media, in general, without applying thir mind - instead applying their bias - support their activities which is insane.

How many jobs reserved for backward people remain open and why is that we are unable to find people for those positions, even though reservation was in place already ?

It is we who are answerable for the above which was resulted in the failure of successful implementation of reservation policy. Let us self-examine and realize the truth to our conscious, even though we are not obliged to come out in open and even if we come out in open, the Indian media is not there interested in it.