Travesty of Equality

 by Mahi Tewari

Lok Sabha passed the bill to let states make their own OBC lists. Bill 386-0 will allow states like Maharashtra to provide reservations for the Maratha community and to other general castes like Patel and Gurjars. Many political parties are even bidding for the removal of the SC-mandated 50% limit on the reservation. Though Supreme Court is reluctant to do away with the limit. On the side, the government is also considering a socio-economic caste census for 2021, this is being done because of the growing demands of other political parties and OBC’s to use this data as evidence to seek removal of a 50 % cap on Quotas.

 

During a pandemic, where every economically weak Indian is facing salary cutoff and job layoffs, SECC will inevitably be used to lobby for a single community while the problem is actually nationwide, rising above caste differences.

 

While Lok Sabha has rejected the plan to breach the 50% cap, BJP’s Samaras Samraj ideology seems to want something different. They believe through it EWS quota will now help non-reserves castes as well. But doesn’t it mean then that till now EWS was just another SC/ST quota?

 

The reservation system in India is flawed. And after almost 70 years, increasing it instead of actually tackling the problem it has caused clearly shows the importance of politics rather than education in India.

 

Black people in the United States are still subjected to racial discrimination but why haven’t they protested for reservation? The USA has Affirmative action instead of reservation. Affirmative Action refers to admission policies that provide equal access to education for those groups that have been historically excluded or underrepresented, such as women and minorities.

 

Reservation isn’t a solution for discrimination or upliftment, it is appeasement to Mandal politics.

 

If reservation is right, then why not introduce it in sports as well? If you are general, then your Javelin throw needs to cross 70m to qualify to represent India in the Olympics while if your last name falls into the category of SC/ST you can represent India even at 60m. But the thing with sports is that the results of the introduction of the reservation are immediate. No medals. No celebration. But be happy, you have a travesty of equality.

 

Unfortunately, with education, the poker player with the futures of deserving students is not immediate. You can’t count the vices of the system through a medal count in education so jobs and studies become easy victims.

 

India needs scholarships in education. India needs to provide financial assistance to bright children from rural areas. What India doesn’t need is explaining to a general student his friend that has the same economical background as him, the same opportunities and even the same marks will get an admission in college, and he won’t. Why? Because 70 years ago his ancestors were discriminated so now even though he hasn’t faced a single day of that misery, he is bound to benefit on the basis of his birth.