Reservations?!

Note: It is among the first of my blog posts, posted on Rediffblogs, four years back. This is essentially a repost, with very few changes. Though I have edited a few paras, inserted a few more points, deleted some, the theme has not changed one bit.  The language and tone of this post can be offending to a few. Those super sensitive souls may stay clear, and read lullabies instead.

Reservations vs. Merit

Sometime back, I received an SMS forward on reservation. A jab it was on reservation. Crude, dry, witty and controversial. Completely humorous to the persons who are the receiving end of these government policies. And for those who benefit, it was slander on their icon. Or new icon, I should say. Pretentious and fake one at that.


I heartily laughed, for it made an entertaining read, and also fuelled my thoughts on reservation, both the pros and cons.

I would like to quote a few real life situations, of which I was part of / or am aware of to present my views. No offence to intended to anybody. If it does hurt, they probably deserve that.

1. How the Reservation Works (atleast in Tamil Nadu)

There are 100 seats. 69% Reservation means 31 for Others. Supposing 200 people are eying for the seats and 20 students out of top 50 belong to reserved category, admission is done on the following basis - 

(a) The entire 20 of the Backward Class are also admitted under Open Seats (out of 31 possible seats). This is because, the first seats are generally filled under the Open Category.

(b) The balance of 11 genuinely reaches the merit students from Forward Community

(c) This results in a situation where out of 100 Seats, 11 is occupied by the so called Forward Community People and the balance 89 belongs to Backward Categories. (Though I was pretty certain about the above scheme of allotment of seats four years back, I am not sure, if it is appropriate as on date.)

This conveys a simple meaning, the reservation system is so pro-CASTE and very little pro-MERIT, that there is no charm in holding a merit certificate unless you hold a backward class certificate also.

2. Caste an Impediment to Growth? No...

I had a friend, belonging to a community regarded socially backward by Government. Lets call him Mr.A. As a school student, you never bother about these. Neither my mom nor my dad or my teachers (at Kendriya Vidyala) uttered anything about caste or community. A billion thanks to them. I also had another friend, lets call him Mr.B, from a community regarded as forward by the Government. 


This "B" used to be around me always, sharing my desk, lunch, copying my notes, even in the exams etc. His mother also approved of it, simply because (a) I was proficient in academics; and (b) I was also  part of a community considered socially forward. 


Secondary school results came and "A" barely scrapped through and "B" secured 40% Plus. I was in the 80% Plus category. I had the misfortune of visiting "B"s home, along with "A", when she told me, in "A's absence, that for "A", the mark is more than enough, since he would be benefited by reservation for his community, and that it was real unexpected and undeserving tragedy for her son to secure such low marks. The very talk about community was repelling enough. 


Till this day, that was the last time I talked to her. After close to fourteen years, "A" is doing his post doctorate in stem cell research. He was a gold medallist in his graduation examinations, and was regarded highly by his peers in his college and also by a scores of Professors and Scientists in his field. 

His rise was never attributed to reservation, but sheer hardwork, and determination. "B", failed in his attempt at a Professional Exam, struggled and ended in a Company as an Assistant, temporary posting for a few years, after which he was confirmed. 


Me and my friends can confirm that he has overachieved, and that he is yet to come out of a primary school mentality. How else would you explain a person who points at his fiancee and asking our opinion on her looks? I repent missing that opportunity to have embarrassed him by asking some real dirty questions.

3. Purohit's Child:

Some five years back, a student visited our work place. All her father earned from the small temple he was employed with, was Rs.2000 per month. That too in a place like Chennai. It is pittance. Those who are in Chennai will understand. He has two daughters and one son. The student was his second daughter. Fearing the evils of reservation, she was forced to take commerce stream. He was not sure whether his daughter would make grade in the top three or four slot in science stream, failing which she would make no progress at all. Unfortunately or fortunately, she came on top in her Class XII examinations, tops the University in her commerce First Year exams, also. Can't recall the fate of the girl thereafter.

Had it not been for the reservation issue, may be she would have opted for a career of her choice, where she would have excelled much better than those who were given that opportunity despite being not proficient enough. Have we lost a good doctor or engineer? A good research scholar? With all pervasive poverty, and a constant war with food crisis and famine and drought, wouldn't we be better off with such bright students part of the science stream? 

4. Sarath Babu: A rags to riches story. He made it to the IIM A on his third attempt. Now runs a chain of restaurants at Chennai. He had a humble beginnings. He used to sell Idlis to roadsiders. His mother washed dishes, and made food. When I first read the story, it left a deep mark in me. In fact, it moved me to tears, looking at that man, and what he has achieved, from a background which isn't that much.

Recently, in CNN IBN, they carried a 3 Minuter on him, which said that he made grade to the IIM on his third appearance and that too on the back of reservation. The program host, said something like this, supporting reservation. "Reservation System had helped a underprivileged turn into a world class professional and a successful enterpreneur". For once, I thought that may be we should have reservation.


I was also impressed, considering the scores of management graduates from the so called forward community, desert the country for greener pastures abroad, only to visit the country back once in every three years, and whine a lot about the infrastructure here, without giving one shit about doing anything to improve it. I was impressed, with that man, who could have opted for comfortable investment banking jobs abroad for a salary that would shame many countries national income, but despite started something on his own, and gave employment to lots of people. Speaking about giving back to your country, this was that example.

5. In Tamil Nadu, one of the leading political leader said something like this. "Reservation is the only tool to bridge the gap between haves and havenots." Don't all leaders tell this? In a movie I watched sometime back, the protagonist complains that all good looking girls fall for the educated. Was the leader answering that hero's complaint?

6. Once a politician in Tamil Nadu, who shifts allegiance across different parties every six months, and always raises voices of concern for an island nation, ignoring the travails of those surrounding him. This man, who is rather notorious for demanding money from various industries and factories around the Chennai, threatening violence and disruption of work, said something like this.


"The Government should accord Most Back Ward Class status to his community."  I thought, atlast this man tries something for the group of people he is leading.


Couple of days later he also made a proclamation "Any body calling his community backward class, will be castigated." 


Now what should I do? Should I call his community backward, and offer him facilities, or don't call his community backward and refuse facilities? Confused?! So was I. Till date, I have not been able to digest this moving lump of hypocritical muck.

7. After I completed my Chartered Accountancy course, when my entire mind was in employment, and I was selected for a Public Sector Undertaking, something in the terms and conditions of employment came in as a rude shock to me and which effectively made me to refuse the appointment. The appointment letter said something about reservations and merit for promotions etc.

Well, now I present my views on the issue

1. Haves and havenots should be based on economic criteria and not on the basis of caste or community. Does it mean that children of politicians and business class, with an asset base running to several hundred crores, scoring 97%, should be given preference over a poor student securing 98%? Just because, the second child is from a community which is branded forward by the Government, is she to be pushed backward socio economically?

2. The more and more I look at the word BC, I consider it stands for Benefited Class and not Backward Class, where the benefit in most case is being given undeservingly. I will continue to take this stand untill, the Backward Class is redefined based on the economic criteria rather than the community to which they belong to.

3. When most of the poilticians say yes to reservation, it is not because they find it justified, but because it is a sure way of garnering vote. A person willing to oppose it will also not do it since, it is a Catch 22 situation. When you oppose it, you will be considered immoral. You say yes, you become god.

4. Politicians and community leaders should be incarcerated for their totally hypocritical and immoral behaviour and double standards when they say that there should not be any caste based divisions for marriage, and reservation should be implemented for education and jobs.

5. More and more reservation, will mean effectively denying world of opportunity to the talented and nurturing not so bright candidates, in a field, they would end up only failing big time, and also forcing the bright candidate in a field, where he / she would also fail big time. We are not creating a bright future for these kids, but a bleak world for the future generation.

6. When our Government is spending crores of Rupees on propogating through media "AIDS Awareness Programmes", "Polio", "Women empowerment", "India Shining", "Government's Achievements", they may also do something to cure this. Social inequality cannot be rectified overnight by simply permitting inefficient people to take up professional courses or employment, over the more deserving candidates. 


If equality has to be ensured in education, it should rather start from Primary School. None of the politicians seem to have thought of the rot in the primary education system. The Government of a Country should be responsible for providing quality education at Primary and Secondary School Levels. If the Government cannot do it, it should basically own up and seek guidance to rectify this malaise, instead of dictating terms to suit its political purpose. Right to education bill is a case to the point. Intention seems right, but it isn't in entirety. 


How on earth can you force a teacher a private school being paid just 2,000 or 3,000 to teach well to an increased number of students, when their peer in the government school are being paid ten times that sum for not teaching at all? It is altogether another matter that the school authorities demand a fortune from the students, but payout peanuts to the teaching staff.

7. If the reservation extends to Private Sector employment also, I would most certainly not follow it, even if it means contempt of the Court or Government or even if being branded as anti-social.

8. For those who see politicians as champions of the socially depraved class, they should have a lesson on history and political science. The new icon raked up this entire issue simply because, despite being a senior partyman, he wasn't considered for any top political post by his "High" Command, and the job of Prime Minister went to an capitalistic economist. Needless to say, if the icon was given some plum political posting / ministry, we wouldn't have had all these nonsense about reservations once again after close to two decades. If the Government doesn't show one bit of spine, and shuns such divisive politicians, it will only lead to widespread anarchy in the near future, and an huge exodus of the talented to distant places. I know I am day dreaming, but I am entitled to my dreams atleast, if not opinions..

9. With scores of Government Schools not being preferred by even Government Servants and Ministers and the like, and also by the General Public, who dream of their child studying at English Speaking Convents / Schools, the Government has not bothered to have any kind of check / control mechanism over the Government Schools. 


Despite being well paid, many teachers don't even handle the classes completely. A malaise of different level  prevails in these schools, which "can" offer good education at a low cost, or better still, free of cost. Seeking to correct by forcibly enforcing draconian and politically motivated reservation mechanism at institutes of higher learning, is no excuse for sleeping over the quality of education and equality at such basic levels. You can't create merit overnight.

10. Who is forward community? Who is backward community? Nobody has a clue. If the Government believes that they have a indisputable scale to measure who is forward and who is backward, its a joke on itself. With every second day, one community or the other, staking claim for backward status, that too by force, soon we will be left with people who are truly backward, considering their mentality. The so called forwards of today wouldn't be any exception to that. They would also be backward, morally and ethically. When everybody "demands" to be recognized as "backward", and for ensuring success when they resort to force and violence, what would happen?


I am dead against a caste or creed or sex based division in the society. As such, when somebody gets a seat or benefit by virtue of reservation, even if he is good, my mind will automatically call him useless and tell him point blank "you dont deserve this. but for the reservation system you would be streets. even now you are garbage."

Admittedly, people of have been wronged in the past based on caste. Even today we see news reports on such happenings on a daily basis. But that doesn't justify implementation of the reservation system. It is more like, punish the kid, for the father has wronged. Will you chop the organs of all the men simply because a minuscule few have raped innocent women? Punish the felon, and his accomplice. Not everybody related to him.

Let us work constructively towards a new world, where there is equal opportunity. Bridging the gap should be based on economics rather than demographics or caste. And a far better tool to bridge the gap would be only education, but for that to happen, merit deserves greater weightage, and primary school to secondary school education taken care by the Government, for that is where the focus should be to make the change happen.

Lets not further this divide. Lets not promote hatred. Else, we'll have well off people in all classes and communities with a mutual hatred towards the other for having looted of their opportunity. Every community will have equal social status, but the one who rules will be the one who has the most lethal weapon in his hand.

The entire phenomenon is virulent, and its end isn't just gloom. Its death.