[dropcap]W[/dropcap]henever crucial election is just round the corner, RSS has issued controversial statements that have created troubles for BJP. BJP lost Bihar election due to reservation remark pitched up by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and now ahead of UP elections the same issue has cropped up. Somewhere, RSS has shown its double standard and vengeful tactics. RSS spokesperson Manmohan Vaidya triggered a controversy through his comments on the reservation policy. Affirmative action should not become a power. It will only result in vacuous references to “creamy layers”, and further classifications such as OBC etc. Wouldn’t it be much better to decide granting of reservation on a case by case basis instead of bureaucratic classifications? RSS believes that Dr. B R Ambedkar had not favoured continuation of reservation in perpetuity. The comments made by the organisation could potentially damage BJP’s electoral prospects in elections to five state assemblies. Reservations for SC/ST were introduced in a different context. It was provided for in the Constitution to remedy the historical injustice done to them. It was our responsibility. So, reservation for them has been there since the inception (of the Constitution). However, there should be a time limit to abolish reservations.
Actually, these people are not able to digest upliftment of backward sections of society whom they had enslaved for thousands of years. They feel that how can an untouchable become at par with them. I do not find anything new when they ask for reservation based on economic basis. Reservation is not a welfare programme which should be given to poor. It is a remedy for drawbacks in absolute merit based selection in public employment and education. Has anyone ever heard of a Brahmin woman working as a maid or a sweeper? Recently, a news report was published which mentioned that the total number of all SC, ST and OBC professors in IIT Mumbai is less than 5 per cent. This is the scenario prevalent in all educational institutions. If there is no reservation, even 5 per cent professors from these castes will not get recruited as they will most probably get rejected at the time of interview by upper caste interviewers.
RSS should have refrained from commenting on this issue at such crucial juncture, otherwise if the voters from these castes get provoked by the organisation’s reservation policy, no upper caste leader will ever be elected. Just remember the fact that after implementation of Mandal Commission in 1990, none of the leaders from upper caste have become chief minister of any North-Indian state barring Rajasthan. The moment RSS spokesman triggered the controversy, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar had then raised an alarm, insisting the BJP would end reservations if voted to power in the state. Lalu quickly latched on to Vaidya’s statement, saying Brahmins controlled the RSS and that reservation was provided for the targeted sections under the Constitution. He said, it was not a “charity” bestowed on them by the Sangh Parivar fountainhead.
RSS spokesman is again talking nonsense about reservation. The same RSS chief drubbed Modi in Bihar, but probably more remains to be done which UP will. Voters know how to show them their places. Congress also reacted sharply to Vaidya’s controversial remarks. RSS-BJP’s anti Dalit agenda exposed by Vaidya’s intention. Caste and communal division is their DNA, Randeep Surjewala tweeted. As he faced criticism over his remarks, Vaidya went on the defensive mode, saying as long as there is discrimination, reservation should continue. He, however, sought a time-bound probe into why its benefits had not reached the targeted people.
The backwardness of SCs and STs is attributed to the social order which has the sanction of Manu. The reservations should continue till they come out of ‘backwardness’. There should be some method of evaluation of ‘backwardness’ otherwise it would only confirm the old social order. The OBCs are based on professions. Certain profession were held backward. Many old professions are out dated. Now, new society has promoted many new professions, low yielding, that did not find place in the list of old professions. So, it is desirable to identify such low yielding profession and include in the lists of eligible professions and facilities extended to them. Such uplifted underprivileged class and their progenies (creamy layer) need to be declassified for any further continuation of the benefit. There must be some intelligent set up to monitor and execute this process. Year after year the ‘creamy layer’ would build up exponentially and the need to have quota would dissipate. It is possible to work out a theoretical model as to how long the quota system should exist. The actual ground reality may be tracked and regulated.
Reservations are provided by the Constitution for those who faced social discrimination for centuries. For political reasons, every year castes are being added to SC and backward caste list. Despite granting reservation to Dalits their fate has not changed much in India. This is very political as well as social issue, politicians know how to take mileage out of such controversies. RSS needs to show some maturity if they are not making such comments to sabotage BJP.
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