Rise of the Caste

Since so many days all the news papers are full with news of the Government decision related to reservation and the students protesting against it….

It’s almost 16 years after Mandal commission report was implemented.

Today’s times of India carried interesting news, since Mandal report was implemented; the number of registered castes under OBC has doubled.

So what does this mean? After 50 years of reservation… instead of reduction in the number of OBC castes, the number has increased. Are we going back in time?

Or is this just taking undue advantage of concessions? “Ungali de di to haath pakad liya”

One more thing… this reservation is for OBC castes…. These are part of the Hindu religion. There are other religions too. As per 2001 census,
Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/fields/2122.html)

Are we assuming that remaining 19.5% Non Hindu citizens are all advanced? There are absolutely no backward people among them?
Don’t they have right for reservation like these OBC’s?
Again why only OBC and SC/ ST? What happened to those NT’s and other categories?

The worst part is that none of these measures will generally help the real needy OBC or ST guy. This is because all these reservations are after completion school.
The real needy guy is so poor that he is not at all able to complete school and drops out before completion of secondary school.

What is government doing to ensure that this guy actually completes the basic schooling and reaches a level of education where he can actually take advantage of the education? Just have a look at condition of government schools in big cities. No need to guess condition of schools in villages.

So the real beneficiaries remain the advanced people from the OBC and other caste’s who actually equal to general category people in all respects. These people then enjoy the undue advantages of the reservation. And this is where a common hard working student feels really hurt.

So, when we say that the real poor OBC guy can’t even reach a level where he can use the reservation, same is true for a poor guy from “Open” category too.

Don’t all these poor people from other religions…. and open category Hindu have right for some help?
Why are we assuming that ALL open category people are rich and don’t need any help?
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html

Check the above link. As of 2003 the literacy was just 59.5%
And 25% people below poverty line.

Now see the poverty line limit for India here…it is rs. 300 PER MONTH!!!!
http://www.wakeupcall.org/administration_in_india/poverty_line.php

So 25% of the people are earning 300 or below per month.
Now check out this…
http://www.thp.org/sac/unit2/poverty.htm

In India, 44% of the population live below the international standard of $1 per day, and as many as 86% live below $2 per day.

Also check out,
http://www.indiauntouched.com/blog/archives/2005/02/a_dollar_a_day_1.html
This gives figure of 75% of population is below $2 per day. That is 3000 Rs. Per month.

Have a look at current cost of education. With an income of 3000 rupees per month; how a family can afford to send a child for higher education??? Even when seats are available, they can’t afford it.

Even in case of current OBC reservations, Government talks only about reservation.
Who will pay the fees??

Now all this data is without any regard to caste. Living standards of the “Upper caste poor” are no better than “lower caste poor”. Poverty has no caste... no religion…

So why are we denying the right of higher education to “Upper Caste Poor” just because they are from so called “Upper Castes”

I am strongly in favor of reservation for the economically backward “Class”.

This reservation will achieve nothing but a divide between the “Open” and “Reserved” groups. The reserved group clearly enjoys the upper hand since the seats reserved for them are clearly in excess of the eligible candidates so the competition is fairly simpler. On the other hand, it has become other way round for the “Open” category.

Some days ago I came across a mail it claimed Mr Azeem Premjee as it’s origin. Let’s keep the origin aside but content was interesting. It talked about reservation and relaxation of rules in every sector including cricket. like Boundry line should be closer for OBC player and that they should get 8 runs for a sixer and so on…. Another mail talked of “Deewar” wala Amitabh-Shashi Kapoor dialogue... this time “Mere pass reservation hai”
Another impact will be the much hyped…”Brain Drain”. With foreign universities going ahead with aggressive marketing, no wonder if more n more students start going abroad… They will not return because every parent wants his children not to go through the same pains that he suffered…. So obviously they won’t allow their children to face same “reservation evil” no matter how much they might love their “Matrubhumi” and all…

All of us have grown up listening to stories of Mahatma Phule, Raja Ramamohan Roy and a lot more great Indians who fought throughout their life for demolition of the caste system.

It seems everything is gone in vain….

It’s the rise of the caste system again….this time state sponsored… where the roles are reversed… the Upper caste’s have now become “Dalits” ;-(