Disclaimer: To all those who are reading this post, please do not think that I have written this because I am not benefited by the reservation systems in India. I am grieved that there is no quality because of this reservation system and read this in full if you want to know why I say this.
“Reservation is not a weapon for eradication of poverty, but a right conferred by the Constitution on the socially and educationally backward sections,” -- M. Karunanidhi (DMK family supremo)
I will start with these mouthful words of this young man who just turned 90 last month. World estimates show that about one third of all poor people in the world live in India. When we compare this statement with the one made by the young man seen above, we can see that this visionary is not at all worried about development. His only interest seems to be on vote-bank politics. He is looking yet again, for chances to seat all his family members in a place to exploit tax payers' money, put them in his family coffers under the name of his party and the government. Every man has a probability to become greedy but not so greedy that even when unable to walk, needing the seat of power to exploit people's money.
Time for some facts!
One third of world's poor people live in India
Poverty does not know caste or creed
- 26% of Forward Castes(FC) in Chattisgarh
- 17% of FCs in Jharkand
- 14% of FCs in Tamilnadu and W. Bengal
- 13% of FCs in Maharashtra and Bihar
- 10% on an average for India
At the same time, I have to agree to the fact that the numbers are much higher when it comes to finding out the percentage of poor in the backward castes. In 2000, about 30% of Indian backward castes were below the poverty line.
When we know very clearly that poverty reflects the economy, shouldn't we have tried to alleviate poverty? Dr. B. R. Ambedkar who was the chairman for the draft committee could have believed that since lower caste people were being treated very badly and that they were not given opportunities. So it was a five year plan to give a boost to all those who were neglected to come up, make a decent living. But there was one thing that he had done by mistake. He allowed extension of that allowance if needed, thinking that 5 years will not be enough.
Even if there were reservations, then should they not be based on some values?
In Tamilnadu, if somebody from the so called backward caste or class even passes the standard 12 board exams (a stupid one about which we will talk later), he or she can be admitted into an engineering college and become an engineer.
Coming back to what Karunanidhi had said:
I would like to say that those backward caste people, when denied reservation because they are rich, can't they arrange for arrange for a tutor or more to increase performance? What should we focus on? Politics or the real reason behind why politics and democracy were born?
Subramania Bharathi, A great revolutionary and freedom fighter from Tamilnadu wrote that new India must be free from caste and communal divisions. He was born in a forward community or caste and was repelled by the way people treated the so called low caste people. But the reservation system devised based on caste seems to have aided the politicians more than alleviating poverty.
If the national surveys found out that most of the backward castes are poor, why could not have Ambedkar made a provision based on financial divisions and not caste divisions? By doing this, has he created a war against progress?
Politicians like Karunanidhi would want to have the so called OBCs, SCs and STs alive and poor so that he could win elections! Shouldn't such open statements by a political leader of his age be of some sense and dignity?
Your views?
