Current reservation system is becoming the root of discrimination.
For ages, the lower caste communities were treated in a very unjust manner. With the dawn of independence, the constitution of the country outlawed discrimination and provided tools to uplift the socially backward classes. The “brahmastra” being the reservation, the idea of positive discrimination was brought to life. Well thought of, it was welcomed by everyone, and it works quite well in the short/medium run, but the longer reservation stays in the system, more is the amount of fuel that it adds to the fire of discrimination… eventually turning itself into a discrimination causing mechanism.
Being from quiet a modern background, I had no idea about what the caste system is. As a child, I even used to play with a mason’s son, for his parents worked in our locality. I grew up and was asked to fill my board form, that was the first time someone asked me my category. Then I was told that I am of general category, that where I BELONG and where some of my OTHER FRIENDS BELONG.
Even though reservation branched us on papers, it did not show any visible effects among ourselves. Eventually, we gave our entrance examinations, and the results were what nourished the long sown seed of discrimination.
Many of my friends now openly endorsed the caste system, what they were taught by modern education over a period of 12 years, vanished with just one result biased with reservation. A friend of mine claimed, “He (referring to an SC friend) comes from a better family as compared to mine, still he gets the admission at a lower percentage, and I do not even make it anywhere near to the cutoff.” Another one said that when they are enjoying caste-based reservations, then we should follow caste-based discrimination; at least the reservation will be justified.
These were two examples where they felt victimized and developed a hatred for the whole community. There are many more. The part which affects me more is both of them used to be very open and accepting. We cannot even compute how many such individuals have this reservation system produced. Where we could have made at least one person (just to begin with) who could think above caste and stuff, the current reservation system makes it kind of impossible. This would have been acceptable if the reservation was doing more good than the damage.
70 years of reservation, and it has not even helped 10% of those who really need social justice, and is responsible for increasing discrimination. Who gets the benefit of the reservation? A person who has studied up to at least 10th or 12th… The majority of Dalit’s are not even able to reach that level, so people enjoying reservation are just the Ambani’s and Kapoor’s of the Dalit community. The one who really needs it seldom gets it.
I do not suggest that reservation should be scrapped off; it will be disastrous for the weaker section; it serves as a hope for many of them. But the system needs some serious changes, in such a way that it benefits those who need it the most and reduce the feeling of victimization among the non-reserved category. The sooner, the better.
“Men with merit need to be rewarded, but men without merit need not be insulted.” — Amit Kalantri, Wealth of Words
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