Reservation is in news, I should say again and as most of the times,
not for positive reasons. A very touchy issue to say the least. The
issue has a potential and it has created emotional turmoil over the
years. Why reservation? What for reservation? Why somebody gets
reservation? Why somebody is denied reservation? What is the problem?
What is the solution? What to do? How to go ahead? A lot of issues
co-related with each other that need to be tackled. Before analysing
with the likely solution to the problem, let us try to understand the
genesis of the reservation system in India.
The reservation
system in India is an outcome of the thought of the founding fathers of
the Constitution of India whereby they thought of providing reservation
to economically and socially backward set of people. Thus, in India
this identification of backward set of people was made, rather
corelated, with the caste system, as traditional people allegedly
Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe had been the backward set of people
economically and socially and that is why reservation was provided to
Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe. It is important to note that class
and caste was thought to be co-terminus and accordingly the founding
fathers of the Constitution of Modern India decided and accordingly, the
traditionally backward set of people were identified as belonging to a
particular caste and thus a class in themselces. It seems that this is
where the solution started and this is where the problem began. The
idea of identifying class and caste over the years has created problem
and disharmony in the other caste people especially since in India the
caste system is well drenched in the society since centuries altogether.
This initial reservation was provided only to Schedule Caste and
Schedule Tribe people and it was made on experimental basis only for a
period of 10 years. However, once the system got into place, nobody
thought of doing away with it and with the appointment of Mandal
Commission by Congress Government and implementation of its Report by
V.P.Singh Government included within its wings the other backward cast
people under the set up of reservation whereby people were being
identified on the basis of their caste and included in the category of
Other Backward Class and were provided reservation.
We all know
what is reservation system. In simple term, it is a system whereby a
particular set of people are given reservation in various places like
from educational to employment to promotion and in which the said
category of people get benefit compared to other category people or
other caste people. The issue of Mandal Commission and the
implementation of Mandal Commision divided India practically into two
horizons, i.e. those in support of Mandal Committee and those against
the Mandal Committee. However, finally the issue was decided when the
Hon’ble Apex Court provided a guideline whereby it held that reservation
cannot go beyond 50% of the total number of seats. But in reality the
issue was never over and it created a set of people who based their
thought and ideology on dislike for another group of people. Alas the
syestem was only adding fuel to fire. Instead of doing away with caste
system, it was only adding strength to it. The society was getting
further fragmented.
It is seen for the last many years that
people from various castes are trying to creep in through particular
caste in the category of OBC. This is more relevant because OBC, as a
term or as a society, is not well recognized in Indian Hindu system
where the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe were more clearly defined.
Thus, we find that people belonging to various castes try to get into
the category of OBC so that they can reap the benefit of reservation.
This episode of Patel demanding inclusion of their community in the OBC
category which shook the entire Gujarat and moved the attention of
entire India to the issue of reservation needs to be seen from that
perspective.
Thus, what is the solution to this? It is seen that
issue of reservation has created a scenario whereby people those who are
really in need and deserving are not given the benefit. It is also
seen that with the inclusion of dominant caste in the OBC category, the
really needy does not get the benefit. Traditionally Patels had been
affluent and dominant caste in Gujarat. However, the same Patels had not
been dominant in Bihar and in Bihar they are treated as OBC. Thus, it
is important that we streamline this issue of reservation and ultimately
put an end to the system in the manner of win-win situation to one and
all.
What is required is that the benefit of reservation should
go only to deserving people and when I say deserving people, they are
those who are socially and economically at the bottom level. Now acting
from this perspective, there are two aspects which we need to
streamline. 1st is the need to identify People within the OBC, SC and ST
category who are not economically and socially at the bottom of pyramid
and therefore, it is necessary that such people should not get the
benefit of reservation because such people get the benefit at the cost
of really deserving SC and ST and OBC set of people. I also take this
opportunity to put on record the way Creamy Layer has been implemented.
Creamy Layer has not been implemented properly and further Creamy Layer
is applicable only to OBC and not to Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe.
2nd it is important to uplift economically backward set of people who
may not belong to obc or sc or st. This also brings the question of
economically backward people belonging to other castes and religions.
Further all Indians are not Hindus. Nearly 20% of the population is
Non-Hindus and this cannot be ignored.
Thus, the solutions to entire reservation problem and which I see are as follows:-
1. Let the reservation be there for next 25 years and gradually do away
with the system of reservation In the next 20 to 25 years and
accordingly, it is necessary we keep planning for the same from today.
2. Reservation should be denied to anybody whose family member had ever
been benefitted by any reservation and those in Schedule Caste and
Schedule Tribe and/or OBC person if his/her family was benefitted by
reservation once in any category, then the same family is not eligible
for benefit arising out of reservation.
3. Concept of Creamy
Layer needs to be implemented thoroughly and properly and it should
include within its wings people from Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe
and also OBC.
4. All the members of Parliament, Legislative
Assembly, Legislative Council, Local Corporators, Bureaucrats (All India
Services or State Services), Professionals like Doctors, Lawyers,
Chartered Accountants, all such people who in spite of being OBC,
Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe are or have been in any of what is
stated above, then they and their family should be barred from getting
facility of reservation.
5. There should be a reservation of 5%
for other category people if they fit in the category of Non-Creamy
Layer as applicable to OBC which is purely based on economic standing
of the person.
If the above measures are taken in proper
perspective, the rightful and needy set of people will be benefitted out
of it and the non-deserving people will be wiped out and finally with
the passage of time, reservation will become redundant and then in that
scenario, there will be no need for any reservation in India. I think
that this is a long procedure which we all should try rather than
fighting for including particular caste in the category so as to reap
the benefits. It is worth trying. Identification based on caste will
gradually go away because of modern identify which will be beyond caste
and which can go a long way in making every Indian an Indian rather
than belonging to caste, creed or religion.
Well Rakesh jee, Reservation is again a tool used to strengthen the divide our society has, unfortunately the bigger issue is creation of Jobs for all, rather than giving reservation to a section of society. This larger issue would rather unite all and people can fight collectively rather than being exploited since independence as can be seen in India. As suggested by you, the father of constitution too had set a time span for reservation i.e. 25 years, however nothing was achieved and after 65 years of independence we are still playing reservation politics.
ReplyDeleteJob creation is a necessity and Job scarcity is also a reality. However, Reservation is much beyond job. It is also having impact on education and promotion within the job schedule. It also needs to be looked upon from nation building perspective where we ourselves see ourselves as Indian rather than by any caste or religion. But then at the same time denial or rather lack of equal opportunity to socially and economically disadvantaged section of society is also a reality. Sadly the system has only created further fragmentation and thus the time bound solution.
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