The fundamental thought behind reservations in instructive organizations and assemblies
for persons fitting in with specific areas of society, social separation or experiencing
detriments because of station, sexual orientation or ethnicity, has welcomed hot and now
and again vituperative level headed discussion.
While drawing the Indian Constitution Dr. BR Ambedkar said, that the general population
fitting in with the different planned tribes and booked ranks were seriously treated by the
overwhelming stations with the outcome that all records of improvement in appreciation
of such positions and tribes showed absence of education, epic obliviousness, social
inabilities and financial misery.
Accordingly, laws reservations were supposed to be temporary and valid for 10 years until
1960 but they have been expanded years since then; so much so that now is unthinkable
that it will ever cease to function. In India's parliament out of 543 seats, 84 (15.47 per cent)
are reserved for Scheduled caste and 47 (8.66 per cent)for Scheduled Tribes and the
Constitution stated 15 per cent and 7.5 per cent of vacancies in public sector and
educational institutes as a quota reserved for the SC and ST candidates respectively. In
1990, the then Prime Minister V. P. Singh declared that 27 per cent of government positions
would be set aside for other backward Castes in addition to previous one.
It is somewhat hard to take an exceptionally target view in this matter as it was imagined
that the nation all in all couldn't turn into a created and enlightened country unless tribes
and the lower stations of India which is constituted almost one fourth of the whole
populace were carried at standard with the relatively dynamic and better off areas of the
general public.
The emergence of Hardik Patel as a new leader of otherwise prosperous Patel Community
of Gujarat, is demanding that the Patels, like other backward classes, must be given
reservation facilities, which sparks long debated reservation systems, nationwide
and the visible impact is seen in the political sphere. The effects of reservations as
empirically observed then be underlined to assess them against the objectives the
reservations were supposed to accomplish.
Yellow Hat- Optimism/Support
Reservation is a system of representation for backward castes and people who are
excluded from government employment and higher education in the mainstream. In India
the reservation framework finds its source in long-winning station framework in the
nation.
As indicated by Human Rights Watch "Oppressive and coldblooded, brutal, and debasing
treatment of more than 165 million individuals in India has been defended on the premise
of station."
If there is a section of society that faces discrimination on the basis of caste, creed and
color; the only way to eradicate that bias is by mixing them up with the general people and
bringing them into mainstream. Some may say that the reservation system by its nature is
unfair while they fail to realize that our society itself is based on unfairness where some
people are superior to others and get nurtured solely on their birth and not on merit.
We need to strengthen the deprived sections of society to make their presence felt in all
areas of community. As most of the engineers, doctors, entrepreneurs to CEOs of reputed
firms come from the predominated upper caste sections. In other words, we need to level
the playing field for the people who were not allowed to even compete. Thus, to conclude
reservation is the only way to achieve the goal of getting backward sections into
mainstream.
Now a days we see an increasing number of people demanding to be put as OBCs which is
creating disparity and differences among the people. The conditions of granting reservation
should be just and fair. It should be for upliftment of people with poor conditions of life,
weaker sections of society who face economic hardships. The process of reservation should
be for welfare of truly economically deprived people and to bring them all to justice.
Reservation must not be seen as retribution on General Class as some people feel it to be
rather it’s a system which had to be brought in to end the caste based bias. However, it’s
potentially itself becoming part of the problem rather than a solution. If we really want to
get rid of it then we as a society first need to end the wide-spread discrimination.
Black Hat- Criticism
At the time when India became independent and Indian constitution was getting framed,
the father of Indian constitution Dr BR Ambedkar himself opposed reservation for all the
backward castes by saying that, “backward castes are capable enough to compete with
others and to lead as well.”
After implementing this policy, Indian political leaders realized that reservation was just a
source for some to harvest votes and then decided to roost this system. But by that time the
seed of mass stipulation was sown in the mind of millions.
Concentrating on the multi-religious and multi-ethnic social orders of India, the
distinctions of standing, ideology and religion were blacking out after the freedom, yet by
and by blossomed after the usage of reservation framework.
Return to present; now everyone need reservation to appreciate different municipal
enhancements like confirmations and Government administrations. However, Supreme
Court in the end decided out that reservation ought not surpass 50 for every penny, or else
lawmakers under the affection of group may have made it 100 for each penny.
With a shrinking amount of Government vacancy and difficulty in getting a job, different
forward castes also clamor to enter this pool. The ongoing Patel agitation of Gujarat and
Jats from UP and Haryana also craves for attaining reservation under this pretext.
Therefore a new drift is emerging where forward communities aims to go backward.
As we all know that India with more than 80 crore of its population under 35yrs is
youngest country globally. This generation is a bit edgy and wants equality in the global
frame. But instead of providing better jobs and improved education facilities these
antiquated leaders of India can only think of communal politics and reservations.
Creed, caste and religion are not important for today’s Indian youth. They have news ideas,
new psyche and a fast moving life to look after. Therefore, if India wants peace and
harmony then they must abandon the idea of reservation. An autonomous body should be
made to ensure that reservation is provided only to deserving.
Green Hat- Creative Solutions
The entire system of reservation was put in place to obliterate inequality on the basis of
caste and religion which plagued Indian society at the time of Independence. However, it
has created more friction and polarisation as politics crept in.
However, it would also be wrong to state that caste reservation shall cease to exist, because
there are still certain groups in our society which face descrimination and fail to improve
their status because of an ostensible paucity basic education facilities.
There can be various alternatives to mere reservation and listing people under a backward
category. A popular demand is that this system of caste reservation shall be replaced with
the one on the basis of financial status. It cannot be denied that within a caste or a
community, there is a fraction of people which has grown but a large number of people are
still deprived of fundamental amenities.
One of the biggest problem which gets ignored is that there have also been a large number
of cases where people get fake OBC, SC or ST cards made and take advantage of the levy
given to them in admission processes and jobs.
Even though the reservation system aims at uplifting particular groups which are
considered to be backward, there are several errors in it. The recent Patel agitation
highlights that a community cannot be considered as empowered just because a small
percentage of them are leading a good life.
Therefore, a mechanism shall be developed to identify the people who actually need
upliftment and to omit those who have actually gained from the police and still continue to
exploit it when they dont actually need it anymore.
Blue Hat- Expert Interview
Dr. Sashwati Ghosh, HOD English, Netaji Nagar Day College
Q) Do you think that the very term ‘Reservation’ should be abolished from the Constitution
of India?
A) Reservation is one of the oddest issues, for which India is still suffering. I don’t
understand what the ground of giving reservation to some community is. If the government
have a motto to make India prosper, then the first step should be abolished reservation
from the Indian Constitution.
Q) But there are still certain sections in India who are deprived from basic amenities. Don’t
you think that they need reservation to fight with the upper class?
A) Give them all facilities, give them scholarship. But please don’t compromise with merit.
The term people’s servant applied to every section of the society, be it doctor or a clerk, so
if you compromise with merit, then you are actually compromising with the service that is
provided to the common people.
Q) Before election, the political parties in Government increased the reservation ratio, and
to some Political analysts, the ration will be 90:10, in near future.
A) We have so many reservations, OBC, SC, ST, Muslim, and others. My simple question,
what is the fault of general class. And do every people belonging to these reserved sections
are poor, or the people of so called Upper class are rich. Why there is no reservation to the
poor people. I don’t know, do the political parties have any responsibility to the society, if
then they will must show some responsible attitude.
Q) Do you think that the demand of Hardik Patel is futile?
A) No, our responsible political parties actually boost this fellow like Hardik Patel. Today
Patel is demanding reservation, the day will come when there will be a civil war on the
issues of reservation.
Q) Is B.R.Ahmedkar, the man responsible for today’s conflicting situations in India?
A) He is the man behind India’s constitution and for him the present generation is
suffering in every single minute.
Red Hat- Public Opinion
Neha Sharma, 24, student (IGNOU)
Q) Do you think it is justified to promote reservation among different classes these days?
A) Promote education instead of reservation, promoting reservation can never be a good
idea.
Q) Share your view regarding reservation.
A) I think helping people with low income can be an alternative than differentiating
people on the basis of their caste. Financial assistance can be given if the politicians are
really concerned about people, it will not disturb the competition.
Q) Do you think reservation tampers with the actual competition in jobs and admissions?
A) Talent n skills should be the criteria but category wise selection makes it difficult for
these parameters to actually make any impact.
Geetika Sharma, 23, Jewellery Designer
Q) Do you think it is justified to promote reservation among different classes these days?
A) I don't think Reservation among different classes today Should be Promoted when You
can clearly See That A Lower Class person from a Poor background can Excel than Anyone
else around.
Q) Share your personal view regarding reservation.
A) "Reservation" today shows that You are Incapable and Under qualified for the
Respective Course.
Q) Do you think reservation tampers with the actual competition in jobs and admissions?
A) Reservation creates divide. People who are talented does not get the chance as a
person with less qualification gets priority, it hampers the basic fabric of competition.
****************************************************************************
Introduction
Namit Hans, Former Alumnus of IIMC, Sub editor at catchnews.com, @HansNamit
Ayaz Farooqui, Alumnus of IIMC, Works at ABP News (Editorial), @ayazfarooqui
Prateek Kumar, Alumnus of IIMC, Worked at Steria India ltd., Interned at Newsgram.com, Doordarshan, Freelance Writer, @kprateek35
Arnab Mitra, Alumnus of IIMC, Works at Newsgram.com, @sabkathani
Sanjay Kumar Bissoyi, Alumnus of IIMC, Columnist at Uday India, Orissa Post, @skbissoyee
Erick Massey, Alumnus of IIMC, Interned at Delhi Press, Freelance Writer, @Masseyerick
