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(No) Reservations against reservations

Published Wednesday, June 07, 2006 by shabda | E-mail this post

Before you stop reading further and decide that I am opinionated, confused and ask my caste affiliations, let me tell you what this post tells.
I am not against reservations, per se, even caste based.
I am against this reservation policy (27% for OBC).

Why reservations, per se, even caste based are not wrong?
The most scathing and persistent attack against reservations has always been that it is against meritocracy. Respect to meritocracy is a worthy goal, which all of us should subscribe to. Yet there is one higher principle which I subscribe to Greatest good for the greatest numbers. Caste is a reality in India. Whether you believe it or refuse to see it backward castes are disadvantaged. Someone recently described India’s economy as an enclave economy, with 200 million marching towards globalization while 800 million get left behind. It is the responsibility of our government to see that it does not happen.
“Reservations do not work. They have failed to create an equitable society in last 50 years”, I hear you say. Reservations have not worked as nicely as we would have liked them to. Yet what other options do we have? Should we just sit back and and hope that social inequality goes away.

Why this reservation policy is a bad idea?
If you are reading this blog I am sure you would have read a million reasons why thy are wrong. Blogosphere is out and out against reservations. So I will not ramble much on that. Still.
22.5% for SC/ST + 27% for OBC+Other quotas. Means less than 50% for every one else. But more importantly, the government, and for that matter any one has no idea what is the percentage of OBCs in our country. And what is there demographic. I guess before this bill is put before public the it is the government’s responsibility to get the required data.