Evrything you wanted to know about "Reservations" but were afraid to ask - rather believe.
KRAMER v/s KRAMER
"Tum mujhe kya doge? Ye mera HAQ hai" the final words from one of the Pro-reservation protestors on the Great Reservation Debate conducted by our channel. It was an audience based show where we had both pro and anti reservation groups .The anti reservation audience comprised of doctors from MAMC and AIIMS .The pro reservation camp was from JNU.
After the show the walk back, out of the venue was the longest that ive had in my life.
The doctors were mocking the pro reservation students in a rather arrogant manner. I ve had interactions with both camps and have found that both parties are equally rigid .
The anti reservation students would say "have primary education, have reservation on Economic basis rather than caste, what about merit, would you like to be operated on by a QUOTA doctor?"
The other side, keeps talking of ground realities, and how CASTE is probably the only reality in India. "We have always been deprived, due to your Brahmin thinking."
It was an awful site, the kind of scenes we had witnessed from all over India. Chaos all around, negativity in the air.No one wanted to understand anything, there was no calm.The medical students were clear "We are too educated to be wrong" although they never said it, you could feel it. Their counterparts were equally convinced about the fact the upper class could never accept them as equals and for them they would always be "lesser beings".
Both sides were equally cynical and volatile.
RIDERS OF THE STORM
Ever since the Mandal commission was taken seriously back in 1990 when V P Singh (Janta Party) announced that the recommendations of the commission would come into effect there have been many debates,arguments,protests and even self immolations.Lets look at reservations from the beginning, actually from the beginning could mean from British Raj...but lets just start from the 50's.
1955, the Kaka Saheb Kalekar commission submits its report, recommending 70% reservations for backward class students in educational (technical & professional) institutes.The centre says that this could lead to a perpetual divide on the basis of caste throughout the country . Jawaharlal Nehru being a liberal is not comfortable with the idea of caste based reservation .It is thus advised by the centre (in 1962) that assessments should be made on "ECONOMIC" backgrounds.
1978 : The Mandal Commission . The commission is formed to asses the need for reservations for the backward classes. Contrary to popular belief the commission's approach was rather scientific.The commission did not blindly reach conclusions on the basis of caste. The commissions findings were based on 11 indicators, which assessed the need for reservation for certain sections of the society. These pointers were divide into 3 categories Social, Educational and Economic . The commission suggests that there should be 27% reservation for OBC's or other backward classes.
V P Singh introduced reservations in the PSU's and services under the government of India, but NOT in educational institutes saying that for 10 years this would continue and that these 10 years would be reviewed at the end.
The 93rd constitutional amendment is established in January 2006, to help implement reaservation for OBC's in various educational institutes . This amendment is enacted with support of all political parties.
The Knowledge Commission, a commission formed in mid 2005 by the present government to " advise the Prime Minister on matters relating to institutions of knowledge production, knowledge use and knowledge dissemination" votes in May 2006 on the reservation issue. 6 out of 8 members vote AGAINST reservations in educational institutes.
Soon after , the UPA announces that it WOULD go ahead with the advised 27% reservations for OBC's as suggested in the Mandal report.
This "Struggle" for uplifment of the OBC's has been going on from the day we got independence, and way before that (the Dravidian movment began in Madras presidency,now tamil Nadu in 1831).So why is it that still there is such a big divide on the reservation debate?.Why have OBC's not been able to achieve an equal status in society so much so that now we have to go ahead with a reservation policy which has already failed us. "FAILED" because it has only helped the creamy layer or the SAPS, socially advanced persons and sections and not the real OBC strength in rural India.
The principal reason is that our politicians have been riding this storm, of caste divided tension since the start . It is quite evident that today no political party would dare oppose reservations because of the fear of loosing out on innumerous votes.How is it that parties like the BJP who withdrew support from the Janta party government, headed by V P singh in 1990 is now going all out for reservations for the OBC's? . No one has ever actually gained by our reservation policy, quite evidently our "Affirmative action" is flawed.So politics and thus politicians have been the only faction benefiting out of this rather sensitive and important issue.
So we have been planning and planning since ages but the deprived have got no justice, and no we cant say that's not because of US... the whole society is responsible.
The Innocents
We have let our majority down. There is no figure as to how much of India is comprised by the backward class, but most analysts suggest that about 70% is comprised by SC, ST and OBC's. We will never know what it actually means to an untouchable, we can only IMAGINE but never know. There is a common consensus amongst the elite,that these people will always stay this way, the will always perform the "LESSER" jobs
available in the society and their generations would continue doing the same. A conspiracy of some sorts, so that the "Upper caste" would never have to take up important but low profile jobs.Lets face facts would you like someone in your family picking up the local KACHRA of the colony, u wont but have you ever cared about those people who have been doing it for ages, generation after generation?.
Students are angry, they are for equality and want the OBC's to rise and prosper and I sincerely believe in this. We have to pay the bill,of the feast that our forefathers have been having since centuries.
I believe that reservation should NOT have been implemented in the manner that it has been , but its too late to think of alternate policies.We must take affirmative action as soon as possible and that's now. People suggest that affirmative action should be taken but not in this way. Has anyone out of these "LEARNED" people thought about these backward classes until now?.As soon as the government announces a lame proposal
evryone jumps in the debate and give numerous suggestions about how things should be done.Where were all these suggestions earlier? Since Mandal 1(16years) has anyone ever come up with an idea , a suggestion, a movment? The answer is a plain NO. We kept sleeping and never thought about the 70% people who should have an equal opportunity to lead a successful life in this country .
Even though I believe that this reservation will not help them in any way, I think we have wasted too much time just promising and planning. We must send a positive signal to the community, that we are ready for a change and stand for equality. The government however should now stop riding this storm of hatred and actually try and help both parties. The seats in educational institutes should be increased to be fair to the general category students, also if the seats are increased the tension between the two camps would somehow be reduced .
About the AuthorSushant Mehta Sushant Mehta is Senior Correspondent (Films) at CNN-IBN. He will be writing about stars, their films, gossip and his day-to-day experiences with acto...Read Morefirst published:May 26, 2006, 15:50 ISTlast updated:May 26, 2006, 15:50 IST
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Evrything you wanted to know about "Reservations" but were afraid to ask - rather believe.
"Tum mujhe kya doge? Ye mera HAQ hai" the final words from one of the Pro-reservation protestors on the Great Reservation Debate conducted by our channel. It was an audience based show where we had both pro and anti reservation groups .The anti reservation audience comprised of doctors from MAMC and AIIMS .The pro reservation camp was from JNU.
After the show the walk back, out of the venue was the longest that ive had in my life.
The doctors were mocking the pro reservation students in a rather arrogant manner. I ve had interactions with both camps and have found that both parties are equally rigid .
The anti reservation students would say "have primary education, have reservation on Economic basis rather than caste, what about merit, would you like to be operated on by a QUOTA doctor?"
The other side, keeps talking of ground realities, and how CASTE is probably the only reality in India. "We have always been deprived, due to your Brahmin thinking."
It was an awful site, the kind of scenes we had witnessed from all over India. Chaos all around, negativity in the air.No one wanted to understand anything, there was no calm.The medical students were clear "We are too educated to be wrong" although they never said it, you could feel it. Their counterparts were equally convinced about the fact the upper class could never accept them as equals and for them they would always be "lesser beings".
Both sides were equally cynical and volatile.
Ever since the Mandal commission was taken seriously back in 1990 when V P Singh (Janta Party) announced that the recommendations of the commission would come into effect there have been many debates,arguments,protests and even self immolations.Lets look at reservations from the beginning, actually from the beginning could mean from British Raj...but lets just start from the 50's.
1955, the Kaka Saheb Kalekar commission submits its report, recommending 70% reservations for backward class students in educational (technical & professional) institutes.The centre says that this could lead to a perpetual divide on the basis of caste throughout the country . Jawaharlal Nehru being a liberal is not comfortable with the idea of caste based reservation .It is thus advised by the centre (in 1962) that assessments should be made on "ECONOMIC" backgrounds.
1978 : The Mandal Commission . The commission is formed to asses the need for reservations for the backward classes. Contrary to popular belief the commission's approach was rather scientific.The commission did not blindly reach conclusions on the basis of caste. The commissions findings were based on 11 indicators, which assessed the need for reservation for certain sections of the society. These pointers were divide into 3 categories Social, Educational and Economic . The commission suggests that there should be 27% reservation for OBC's or other backward classes.
V P Singh introduced reservations in the PSU's and services under the government of India, but NOT in educational institutes saying that for 10 years this would continue and that these 10 years would be reviewed at the end.
The 93rd constitutional amendment is established in January 2006, to help implement reaservation for OBC's in various educational institutes . This amendment is enacted with support of all political parties.
The Knowledge Commission, a commission formed in mid 2005 by the present government to " advise the Prime Minister on matters relating to institutions of knowledge production, knowledge use and knowledge dissemination" votes in May 2006 on the reservation issue. 6 out of 8 members vote AGAINST reservations in educational institutes.
Soon after , the UPA announces that it WOULD go ahead with the advised 27% reservations for OBC's as suggested in the Mandal report.
This "Struggle" for uplifment of the OBC's has been going on from the day we got independence, and way before that (the Dravidian movment began in Madras presidency,now tamil Nadu in 1831).So why is it that still there is such a big divide on the reservation debate?.Why have OBC's not been able to achieve an equal status in society so much so that now we have to go ahead with a reservation policy which has already failed us. "FAILED" because it has only helped the creamy layer or the SAPS, socially advanced persons and sections and not the real OBC strength in rural India.
The principal reason is that our politicians have been riding this storm, of caste divided tension since the start . It is quite evident that today no political party would dare oppose reservations because of the fear of loosing out on innumerous votes.How is it that parties like the BJP who withdrew support from the Janta party government, headed by V P singh in 1990 is now going all out for reservations for the OBC's? . No one has ever actually gained by our reservation policy, quite evidently our "Affirmative action" is flawed.So politics and thus politicians have been the only faction benefiting out of this rather sensitive and important issue.
So we have been planning and planning since ages but the deprived have got no justice, and no we cant say that's not because of US... the whole society is responsible.
We have let our majority down. There is no figure as to how much of India is comprised by the backward class, but most analysts suggest that about 70% is comprised by SC, ST and OBC's. We will never know what it actually means to an untouchable, we can only IMAGINE but never know. There is a common consensus amongst the elite,that these people will always stay this way, the will always perform the "LESSER" jobs
available in the society and their generations would continue doing the same. A conspiracy of some sorts, so that the "Upper caste" would never have to take up important but low profile jobs.Lets face facts would you like someone in your family picking up the local KACHRA of the colony, u wont but have you ever cared about those people who have been doing it for ages, generation after generation?.
Students are angry, they are for equality and want the OBC's to rise and prosper and I sincerely believe in this. We have to pay the bill,of the feast that our forefathers have been having since centuries.
I believe that reservation should NOT have been implemented in the manner that it has been , but its too late to think of alternate policies.We must take affirmative action as soon as possible and that's now. People suggest that affirmative action should be taken but not in this way. Has anyone out of these "LEARNED" people thought about these backward classes until now?.As soon as the government announces a lame proposal
evryone jumps in the debate and give numerous suggestions about how things should be done.Where were all these suggestions earlier? Since Mandal 1(16years) has anyone ever come up with an idea , a suggestion, a movment? The answer is a plain NO. We kept sleeping and never thought about the 70% people who should have an equal opportunity to lead a successful life in this country .
Even though I believe that this reservation will not help them in any way, I think we have wasted too much time just promising and planning. We must send a positive signal to the community, that we are ready for a change and stand for equality. The government however should now stop riding this storm of hatred and actually try and help both parties. The seats in educational institutes should be increased to be fair to the general category students, also if the seats are increased the tension between the two camps would somehow be reduced .
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