Suggestion on Reservation Theory

Note: This is an open letter was written to the Prime minister of India in June 2006 on the issue of “Reservation” based controversy which started surfaced again of late. This article was circulated across the globe through email channels to a very great extent then. 

From:

Sudesh  Kumar DJ Vashishtha                                                           04/06/06

(A Citizen of India)                                                                               Indore.           

Indore. Madhya Pradesh

To,

The Prime Minister of India

New Delhi.

Cc… NDTV, FREE PRESS, DAINEK BHASKAR, AAJ TAK, TIMES OF INDIA,

THE HINDU                                                 

An Open letter to the Prime Minister of India

It is very much painful and utter shame for us to find ourselves among lingering with the subject which is not in the interest of the very community in particular or the nation as a whole.

Yes we are discussing the Reservation matter only and I would like to draw your kind attention to the following aspects which I am sure will help to put some light on the controversy of the reservation stir that is taking place in the country for some time now since the declaration of Mr. Arjun Singh about his proposed plan to bring out 27 % reservation on OBC quota.

In the first place, it is utter ridiculous to see that the UPA Government which is not only a group of one of the very experienced political parties in India today but also it belongs to the largest democracy of the world India, still just with an intention to garner votes are back with the same story of reservation which we all saw in the form of “Mandal” a few years ago.

 While I do understand that the political parties need to be tactful and they need to do something or other to remain in news as well as in power and for the same they are forced to make a mountain of nothing and this is one of those efforts and if it is not then why we cannot think on some better ideas to uplift the poor and the OBC category which may not only will bring any controversy but also it may help the student to study with full dignity and pride which otherwise in the present system they may not enjoy.

I have pointed out the following view which could be considered and if be implemented will bring a permanent solutions to the issue forever.

1. As the very purpose of the idea of “Reservation” is to uplift the backward class community so as to bring them into the main stream of national citizens and this can be done by allowing reservations to the “Economically backward class” not on the basis of “Caste”.

Reason: This is only and only due to the reason that there may be 10000’s of OBC in India who are very rich and already leading a quite dignified life and at the same time there may be so many non-OBC students from Brahmins as well as from other high castes who may be good in studies but are not having enough money for higher education and this present style of the reservation may deprive them of their right too as a citizen of India just due to more than one reason and one of the reason would be that they are not from OBC.

2. There is no logic to provide a free entry to an OBC who is very rich and already leading a very dignified life but having low marks but still, they manage to reserve a berth in medical just due to the reason they are belonging to the OBC and the same reason deprive another higher caste person who may be extremely good in education and in marks too but financially very poor and they may end up losing the berth in medicine just because they belonged to the upper caste.

Reason: We should take care that when we do a favor for somebody it should not be at the expense of some other innocent person and if we go ahead with this it may only help to end up our prestigious medical colleges with at least a few of the lesser talent and qualified students who may not come out as an efficient and capable doctor which otherwise some other merited students may occupy and may come out with some blessed doctors for the nation (it can be from OBC as well as from upper caste as well when we talk merit it is merit and no caste which pl kindly note..)

3. There is no point in making a reservation in the extremely sensitive categories like medicine and engineering etc where the one and only criteria should the excellence and worthiness and efficiency of the students as we cannot make out medical colleges and engineering colleges a factory of cheap and non-productive and inefficient doctors which may definitely be the result if we go ahead with the proposal of reservation for the OBC.

Reason: We need quality in our buildings and in our health and I am sure none of us would like to visit a lesser efficient doctor and risk our or our near and dears life.

4. The best alternative suggestion could be to make the reservation on the basis of economically poor so that the efficient but poor students would get the benefit irrespective of which category they belongs to and thus we are not playing or compromising the medicine and engineering colleges very authenticity which may be at stake if we go ahead with the program under the present way of plans.

Reason: This may make sure no eligible students would be deprived of their rights to study

5. Further, as a special case what can be considered is to provide the OBC student who manages to enroll themself in the medical college on the pure merit basis to be provided free education. Let if the government is so much concerned about the welfare of the OBC then let us provides free education for them on the basis of scoring certain eligibility marks but the entry should be on the basis of merit.

Reason: This will take care that the college has packed with students who is the best in the nation and no compromise on that is done and the student whether OBC or Upper caste may never feel any sort of inferior feelings among their classmates as they are not there due to OBC but due to their excellence and ability.

I think it is high time a politician who is governing the country start thinking nation first instead of vote politics before we waste another few decades of our valuable time in the race among other nations for becoming a world power economically as we already wasted at least the first 4 decades if not more since independence. Then we had an excuse on the same as we as a nation was like a child just emerging into the world not knowing and realizing the world and the international politics whether it is in the matter of our losing the war to china or whether foolishly handing over the won war calling a truce with Pakistan when they(Pakistan) were completely trounced.

But now at least let us not play with the education system of the world’s 3^rd largest economic power (15 years from now) and 5^th biggest military power and 7^th the largest nation of the world apart from the largest democracy status, which has really very big and international roles to play in international politics. So let us concentrate on the international politics wherein we have to occupy our berth in securing energy independence without which we may end up lagging behind other nations and if India government instead of concentrating on energy security and other critical subjects which begs its attention if we spend our electoral term in doing something in order to secure another term, the nation may become older but the growth will be blocked and that would be one of the biggest crimes not only against the Indian citizen who has voted but against humanity as still somewhere down the line India suffer and at least 5 % of total death that takes place in India is as a result of malnutrition and unhygienic living conditions. Those who spend their valuable time on the power to just play politics are depriving these poor downtrodden of their hope of seeing good days when they are alive and those in power are answerable for this death, as had India, had worked in proper planning and without selfish motives I am sure India would have attained energy security as well as would have eradicating poverty and death due to un hygiene conditions if not one of the developed country. Today but alas we are not and hence still deaths are taking place due to the malnutrition and who is responsible … of course our a politician who after occupying the power were busy in assuring their power for another term playing politics rather than doing something drastic and unbiased decision with only Nation and only Nation in the mind.

When we talk about reservations on a caste basis instead of on economic we are forgetting that indirectly we are just shouting and making the people realize the difference in them on the basis of caste which otherwise they may have forgotten and this will help to bring out a tendency to create more confusion and hatred among various communities whose tolerance and thinking level may not be as good as they could be with many of us which may further result in an ever-increasing gap between them.

Let us so not try to uplift the poor OBC SC ST from the place where they are put now by shouting at them and labeling them as POOR and backward which is indirectly a way of humiliating them, instead of the same let us provide them a platform to make them stand on their own legs by giving free education in the primary, secondary and high school level and extending this facility to medical and other higher education to all those who are very good in merits and thus only those who with brains and intentions to excel will get the chance to get into the institutions which is giving shape to future India. This will safeguard the medical colleges from getting some less qualified students in as well as it may not deny any more eligible student from getting a seat for the crime that he or she is not born as an OBC or he or she happened to be son or daughter of some upper caste couple.

Before concluding I would like to add one more thing that India can really attain its speed of economic growth as well as the peace and friendhood among the citizen which is very much required to attain its maximum speed in its march towards economic independence is when our government applications may delete the system of asking Caste and Religion. To start with Govt can leave that column as optional and those who want the benefit would prefer to enter the same column and those who are liberal and looking forward to some revolution in our country, a revolution of love and peace among the citizen then u can find a lot of Indian true Indians would start skipping that column and it may a beginning of a silent revolution which may take India towards a direction where you may come across the only smile in the face of citizen and this smile may result in peace and peace may bring out the hidden love among all of us to the surface from the core which is already there but lost. When all this is available in a national then how can it be contained from galloping and reaching its destination of the world’s largest economic and military power a few years ahead of schedule?

GOD BLESS ALL.

Jai Hind.

SUDESH KUMAR DJV

Indore / Madhya Pradesh

Sudeshdjv99@rediffmail.com