Essay on reform in reservation system in India
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sue by the Social Justice Front has been in full for some time; it gained strength after Jats were included in the list of Other Backward Classes a couple of years ago.
In a State where the forward castes continue to playa significant role in determining election outcomes, Mr. Gehiot's move set the terms of the discourse. With elections to the State Assembly due November 2003, the BJP could not have possibly stayed out of the promise-making game. The high level of unemployment is a general problem, but it is particularly severe among people belonging to the forward castes. The proportion of educated unemployed should after all be higher among the forward castes than among castes kept out of the education system over the years. Political parties across the spectrum can hardly afford to gloss over this reality in a context where the Government continues to be seen as of job provider. Add to this the sense of power that comes with Government jobs in most parts of India and one can understand the desperation in the quest for such opportunities. "It is against the fundamental principles of humanity, it is against the dictates of reason that a man should, by reason of birth, be denied or given extra privileges" -Mahatma Gandhi
The Constitution of India does provide special privileges to the downtrodden sections of society called Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The special provisions were primarily for a limited period often years from the date of application of constitution. There is no fixed period for continuation of this privilege. The constitutional safeguards continued to be extended each time by ten years. before the period of earlier ten years expired.
According to historians, the most important factor in the growth of caste system: was the occupations. Occupations were classified in order of their social status, initially based on Karma and the percentage of the Gunas; Sattav, Rajas, Tamas the system became very rigid. During the British reign, it was proposed that the Scheduled Castes be treated as a separate community and granted separable representation under the Government of India Act 1935. After Independence, the Constituent Assembly Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights and Minorities headed by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, recommended special privilege to the Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribe for a limited period of 10 years. The privileges were meant for the upliftment of the lower castes, but it has become gross abuse in the hand of self-centered politicians and so called Dalit Leaders, Dalit Leaders argue that' higher castes have suppressed the lower castes for a long time, so now they will a have to suffer equally for long period. Some argue that Reservation is a political, social, economic and constitutional policy to accord justice by absorbing the SCs and STs in the social mainstream.
In 1992, the Supreme Court ruled out that reservation quotas could not be applied in promotions of Government employees beyond 1997, but Parlia through the 86th Amendment bill restored the scheme of reservation for SC and ST in promotions too. The government has further given reservation to OBC ( Backward Classes) . Our Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, pointed that “In an unequal society where the Schedule Castes, Scheduled Tribes OBCs are still suffering from historical disabilities, what they want is Social and empowerment and-not mere welfare. Whatever may be the intensions of Mr. Vajpayee, the point is: Can Social justice be actually restored to such cross sections of society, at the cost of gross injustice to the rest?
While providing privileges in the Constitution for a limited period often years, it was felt that the feeling of casteism would vanish. But even after 55 years of independence, reservation based on birth, has catalyzed the widening gap, caste differences, hatred among different castes. Sixty years of reservations has enabled these Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to occupy most of the higher posts in government offices and institutions. In many cases their hatred towards high caste has been clearly pronounced. This could certainly not be the dream of our founding Fathers. Reservation has resulted in mediocrity and repudiation of quality. With the help of legislative support of reservation, the 'not so eligible' have climbed to the high posts and the better qualified, with high marks are just facing the injustice being done with them. In the educated urban middle class, there is a strong feeling of displeasure, discontent who repeatedly suffer due to their privileged counterparts.