Reservation: An Unsuitable Medicine
By AK Vyas
‘The essence of a secular and democratic State is freedom of opportunity without regard to race, religion, caste or community’. — Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, while inaugurating implementation ceremony of the Constitution of India as President of Constituent Assembly, addressed to nation that India was returning towards Buddhism which would be 'co-operative common wealth of the people'. The great Gandhian used the word Buddhism in a figurative term - to denote a society based on non-violence and non-hatred - a society without distinction of race, caste or tribe. Founding fathers of the Constitution introduced reservation policy for Backward Classes identified as Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) for a limited period of 10 years. They were aware that reservation process has weakening impact on Fundamental Rights of Equality so cherished to them. They were also aware that policy of reservation would strengthen the feeling of caste and tribe as well. Article 14 and 16 empowers the State to make reservation in favor of Backward Classes. Faced with difficulty in identifying Backward Classes they had put entire SC and ST under Backward classes and article 341 and 342 respectively provided job reservation for SC and ST for only ten years. They cautioned the national Government that 'reservation should be given in such a way that efficiency of administration should not be impaired'. Reservation should be viewed according to the perspective of 'national human resource management' rather than a political tool. Why for only ten years The authors of Indian's governance or Constitutional Management thought that with the dedicated band of freedom fighters and rare efforts of Government the vulnerable sections of society would be brought to main-stream within the very short span of ten years. They were wronged by the Government-led by Nehru. With the band of inept, corrupt and lethargic bureaucrats boosted by praise heaped upon by elites, Congressmen and section of press personnel Nehru negated the Gandhian model of rural oriented economy. He favored State sponsored great industries, dams etc. He gave more attention on foreign policy rather than the domestic policy - a policy of amelioration of the condition of deprived. He favored the policy of setting up winning candidate of dominant caste rather than befitting honest Congress worker of the area. He ignored the Gandhian davidranarayan. None can be against the industrialization but timing was wrong. Industrialization involved lost of expenditure which was needed to spend on cottage and village industries in initial stage. Principle of socialistic pattern of society' was hollow in the hand of implementing Government machineries and lustful politicians. A genre of highly materialistic, self-centered corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, contractors and individuals bereft of ideals of social service began to thrive. The policy of reservation helped some of the capable families among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Christian missionaries though at the cost of conversion, were capable in raising the capability of numerous tribals at the level where they became capable to harvest benefits of reservation. They entered the Government jobs and climbed up the ladder of promotion by the help of instrument of reservation which might not be easily available to them. But Government measures of capability building were far from satisfactory. Those who were ignorant, illiterate and extremely poor were unable to reap the benefit of reservation. Moreover, everyone may not cherish for Government job. So the deemed panacea of reservation had limited utility. Seeing the improper and unbalanced human resource management Dr Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Draft Committee of the Constitution ventilated his frustration way back in the early years of 1956 in the following words: “We have made this Constitution a beautiful temple for gods. Before it should be installed devils have taken possession. So it is better to burn down it”. Apparent cause of frustration of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar was selective and extremely slow progress of depressed classes (dalits). Reservation scenario As there was no viable improvement of depressed classes position of large number of dalit families remained static. Till date as per Swami Agnivesh, there are some dalit families in which single piece of sari are being shared by two ladies - mothers-in-law and daughter-in-law. When mother-in-law goes out daughter in law remains closeted inside the house in almost naked condition. Do they not need improvement and State help? Do they not need food, cloth and shelter? Can reservation policy improve their living condition? Certainly not. Continuous reservation policy helps limited proportion of families who are capable to elicit benefit of reservation. Continues reservation is developing almost same families of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes where grand father, father and son have reaped the benefit of reservation. A neo forward family has come up which is vocal in favor of reservation. New forward families are influential and are able to garner support of caste fellows. One can see that son of an IAS officer on reservation becoming IAS or allied personnel on reservation. One can see in single family of SC or ST there are 5 IPS officers whereas another family of SC/ST is languishing in abject poverty, beyond description. Can the reservation policy bridge the gap between capable and incapable families? Certainly not. In the face of competition posed by new forward families of SC/ST the families of SC/ST who are poor, illiterate and ignorant can never be brought to mainstream. Can 100 days work in a year scheme in 200 districts bring them to mainstream? Very doubtful. It can be kept in mind that similarly dastkar (depending or jajmani) families of Other Backward Classes (OBC) cannot match the Kastkar (agriculturist) OBCs. Among SC, ST and OBCs there are lot of families which are highly placed, rich and educated. ST dominated State like Nagaland (with 88.9 per cent ST) and Mizoram (with 94.5 per cent ST) are showing better Human Development Index then many States of plain. Do both affluent and educated families may belong to Backward Classes? Certainly not. Can Meera Kumar (d/o Jagjivan Ram), Gangmumei Kamei (University topper and affluent person), Mulayam Singh Yadav and scion of BP Mandal belong to Backward Classes? Certainly not. Many people consider the scheme of reservation as passport to success. By tacit method Meitei families of Kakching (Manipur) got themselves declared Lois (Scheduled Castes) such advanced families of Lois will certainly be more capable in bargaining for reservation. Capable person of BC category can snatch both reserved and unreserved job. Hitherto the Government of India and the States were the employer of the highest number of candidates. Government job is rapidly shrinking. Under the rapidly shrinking job scenario reservation of 49.5% job will be proportionally of very small help to SC, ST and OBCs rather than it may be against the fraternal evolution of citizens. The discrimination inflaming reservation policy may succeed in harping sentiments of poor Backward Classes, inflaming the casteism, uniting BCs for casting votes in favor of particular party and continue to provide benefit of reservation to underserving neo forward classes (treated as Backward Classes). Right from the year 1951 caste wise National Census was discarded except Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to avoid caste dissension. So we do not have caste wise statistics for castes bracketed as other Backward classes. Whatever statistic we have are misleading. We do not have reliable statistics about education, wealth, employment (employment in Government job, private sector, self employment, etc), earning and expenditure for each identifiable family. So present reservation policy based on unscientific statistics for SC, ST and OBCs is highly objectionable and wrong. To consider entire caste or tribe as intellectually weak needing support is wrong. In Nagaland one person has declared his wealth worth Rs 9005 crore while Gangmumei Kamei (ST) was topper of Guwahati University, Jiya Lal Arya (SC) was topper of Allahabad University, RCP Yadav (OBC) was first Ph.D holder in veterinary science in Asia and Yadavas of Bihar have produced more Chief Ministers than any other castes without enjoying protection provided by reservation. Are human resource managers of nation aware that among forward castes (entirely categorized as forward class) is any family of destitute and illiterate? If so how many are such families? If it is truism what protection those families deserve? Everyone is aware that tribals of north-eastern States are more capable to enjoy the benefits of reservation available for tribals. Is it not creating regional imbalance? Many tribals are very rich and capable but even then they are exempted from paying Income Tax and all the same time is entitled to the benefit of reservation owing to very birth in tribal families. In many remote villages the dividing line between forward castes and backward castes is very thin. It is more based on caste hierarchy than economic and educational criteria. In so many villages backward caste fellows are more elevated than their forward counterparts with regard to wealth, education and prestige. We know that Naxal movement is spreading rapidly among scheduled castes and among the other backwards. If reservation policy is so effective why it failed to check Naxal menace. Fertile soil for Naxal movement is backwardness aggravated by feudal force. Naxal movement could not be checked by principle of mixed economy, upto decade ago followed process to create socialistic pattern of society and even hitherto Narashimha Rao led policy of liberalization. Recently Naxal movement has spread very fast. It is estimated that one third of population has come under coverage of Naxal movement. Worried Prime Minister asked countrymen to combat naxalism politically. But naxation cannot be wiped out by politics alone till then clear cut policy of upliftment of deprived is not being chalked out. Government seems to be very enthusiastic to push up reservation for other Backward classes (categorized on caste basis) in institutions of higher learning. Can a member of really backward class afford to pay high fees of IIM or IIT? Certainly not. I know a forward caste person: He is a Government servant. His son was selected for Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal. He could not get the SBI's education loan for his son despite his best efforts. He anyhow managed to arrange his son's fees taking loans from friends and relatives. It should be kept in mind that fees of IIFM are less than fees of IIM - even less than half of IIM fees. If a forward Government servant finds difficulty in arranging fees for IIFM can a really backward arrange the fee of IIM? Mandal Commission Report, though not based on precisely reliable data, tried to be more impartial and categorized other Backward Classes (except SC and ST) on caste basis and made provision for separate reservation for other Backward classes, other Most Backward classes and Backward classes among Muslims. In this regard the Supreme Court directed that persons belonging to creamy layer among them are not entitled to reservation. Much praised Mandal Commission report was implemented at variance. Point to consider Reservation policy hitherto followed and likely to be extended cannot ameliorate the condition of deserving depressed persons even in next thousand years. Initially reservation was an instrument of social justice for a few families. But now it is counter productive. Mostly benefit of reservation is heaping among powerful families of SC, ST and OBC. Recent provision for 100 days employment guaranteed scheme in a year in a selected 200 districts is insufficient and discriminatory. This scheme should be for 300 days in a year spread over all the districts covering peoples belonging to weaker sections as per economic and educational criteria rather than birth criteria of caste, tribe, creed or race. In the face of 4 crore unemployed the job avenues created by Government is negligible. So it is cheating to backwards. Really it amounts to provide something out of nothing (negligible). Continuing system of reservation hindered the harmonious and cohesive growth of society. Much talked about IIM is far behind Kellog and Harvard School of Management. Can reservation boost up the position of IIM? Never, Prime Minister of India is talking about India as a 'knowledge society'. The basis of knowledge society may be only merit based open competition rather than balkanization created by reservation. If India is a knowledge society, it is not due to Government managed but due to sincere efforts and strong will of people. Position of families hitherto enjoying reservation was never reviewed. Efficiency of administration was never reviewed vis-à-vis reservation. Constitution never talked about caste but class. I would like to suggest that reservation in job (life tenure) should be given solely on economic and educational criteria for next 20 years to a family once. Members of deprived classes should be given aid (in the form of books, stationary etc) and scholarship (a good amount of money payable monthly revisable as per price index) to meet their educational need. Fees of IIM, IIT, IISc, IIFM etc should be drastically reduced to enable rural people so that they may prosecute their study in premiere institutions of the nation. If is paradoxical that for fear of dissension caste census is not taken right from 1951 while caste/tribe based policy of reservation is being perpetuated only to create hype. There is a need to attack on black money ruthlessly and provide that money to poor and deprived (person below poverty line). There is a need to link the remote hinterland with roads. It is pertinent to provide safe drinking water, at least one unit of electric power for each day per family, one sari to each woman in a year, annually, one dhoti to each male and 2 blankets of reasonable quality for a family of 5 members in a year free of cost for families categorized under poverty line. Especially in remote hinterland there should be arrangement of mobile schools, being time to time checked by flying squads. Drop outs at primary, middle and high school level should be checked by mobilization of guardians and wards as well as by other innovative methods. If in any village any student is first or second or third primary middle or high school pass they should be rewarded by BDO or any other respectable person. Similarly first 2nd, and 3rd student passing the +2, degree and post graduation should be suitably rewarded by SDO or any other respectable person. It should be kept in mind that children of deprived class also needs nutrition food right from their birth either through their mother or directly. It has been proved that mind grows very fast upto the age of 3 and nutritious food helps mental growth immediately. If proper facility may be given right from birth persons of deprived class may excel like Ambedkar, Jagjivan Ram, KR Narayanan, CV Raman, Aryabhatta etc. It is very important that our leaders should be honest, innovative and pragmatic rather than power hungry eying on votes by hook and crook. They should not do politics without principles (forbidden by MK Gandhi) and never do and speak nastiest thing in nicest way. Particularly our Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh should be innovative in fighting menace of naxalism by economic tool, social tool, political tool and moral tool rather than indulge in perpetuating dissension creating reservation. Government should avoid creating social tension and pay utmost attention on Gandhian Model of economics. Government should try to create a knowledge aspiring society in which people can walk without crutches.
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)