On Reservation, Rights and Talent

1990 : Justice Mandal commission appointed by Indira Gandhi in early 80s submitted his report to the then Janatadal PM Mr.V P Singh. A nationwide haul and protests were called on.Youth took the order of the street. The unfortunate turn of the incidents vitnessed a protestor succumbing to burns when he tried for suicide( though it was confirmed an accident later). That was the time soon after the cold war, after the disintegration of Soviet Union, the time when world order just started the transformation from the semi rightist socialism to the open consumerism and capitalism, the time when state was the largest employer(even today it is), and the begining of cyber revolution in India, and people were conscious about their rights, importantly.

Exactly after 16 years, 2006 : A congress ministry in power, noted economist and world famous scientist decorate the premier posts of sovereign republic of India, HRD minister Arjun Singh announces the move to sore percentage of reservation, aim : upliftment of scheduled and other backward communities. Whatever be the political interests behind this move, this time revolting India is having a different face; rocketing markets, vibrant and dynamic economy, record forex reserves, free and fearless inflow of FDI in the pipeline, satellites and optic fibres giving a new defenition and edge for connectivity and information reach, an unending line of print and electronic media to absorb the meakest itcheing from the society. again youth in the street, this time intellegentsia from India's most respected medical sanctorum, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, along with so many junior doctors mostly from urban India extended their hands in the protests against the new reservation policy. They all are conscious of their rights but what about their duties?

Why we never bother about duties? Why they are put in the last few pages of the civics text book at high school? why no politician or relegious leader aware the people about their duties? How dare the doctors, who in contemporary Indian society considered 'next to God' forget their duty and bother about rights? Why we are so conscious when it comes to the matter of us?( this us includes the urban and semi urban middle class and above) and our rights?

I'm a a strict opponent of any move to divide the society on the basis of caste or religion, and believe on equal rights and previlages to all citizens irrespective of their colour or creed as guaranteed by the constitution. But we must not forget that India means not only the urban nucleus. India doesn't mean the upper and upper middle class, who watch NDTV, who drink coke, who work for MNCs and ultimately who believe in 'talent'. It includes a vast variety of people in the rural and remote areas who adherently struggle to meet their ends.

How come this concept of 'talent' or 'merit'came? Does 'merit' mean the financial affordability of parents to warp ther wards to face and get through the GREs, CATs and JEEs? Who gave us the rose glasses to view and believe ourselves that everything in India is fine once Sensex kissed the 12000 mark or an IIM graduate gets a five digit dollar pack? I agree, India as a nation, since independence has improved a lot, both finanacially and socially. But we must not forget certain ground realities.

Much depends on what we mean by 'merit' in the recent debates and protests. In the present day nation of vast socio-economic disparities and inequalities, it is unjust and misleading to define 'merit' in an academic fashion. The majority in the top notch Business and Technology schools belong to the top 10 or 15 percent of the households, they are from families who can send them to private schools and invest considerable amount of money on coaching and other preparation for entrance examinations. But at the same time the rural Indian common man do not have the means to keep his child continuing his education after secondary or senior secondary level. The is the truth, we comfortably forget. So it is the duty of the society commited to equal rights and social justice to make it sure that the play field is level enough, to lessen this disadvantage of the backward sects. Nehru once put it like this -' the effort of the greatest men of our times was to wipe out every tear from every eye, so, as long as tear remains our work goes on and on and on..'

But we have been watching the sad erosion of the debating culture in our parlimentary democracy. An alarmed symptom is our collective faith in violence and the corresponding loss of debate and dialogue in our public life. This is the road we, should not, cannot afford to take. The backbone of ethical behaviour is the ability to see ones interest in harmony with the larger interests. The curse of any society begins when darkened self interests mount up and break the above said equilibrium and never give any sense even if they prove legally sound.

I'm not of the opinion that the propsed quota system must be implemented as such. Let 'quality', talent' and 'merit' be the basis of selection to the IITs and IIMs. But once we say 'merit' or 'talent', it must mean it. Let us debate and discuss and have a general concensus to mould wise policies which will patch up the disparities in the society and make it sure that true merit reach the premier institutes of our nation which are our pride. What we need at this point of time is patience, common sense and wisdom.