Political Diary

New Delhi, 7 November 2015

Caste Wins In Bihar

HOW DO WE SPELL MERIT?

By Poonam I Kaushish

The more India changes, it still remains the same whereby the past continues to survive and thrive in the present, succinctly caste reservations. Underscored by the latest Bihar election results which mirrors how both Nitish-Lalu’s Grand Alliance and Modi’s NDA had carefully crafted their strategy according to the right caste and communal combinations to win the State. Both promising more quotas if elected in education and jobs, merit be damned!

Kudos, to the Supreme Court for playing party pooper  before our netagan decided to deliver on their promise. It called for an end to the reservation system in all higher education institutions in ‘national interest’, as it disposed petitions challenging the admissions eligibility criteria into certain super-specialty medical courses in Andhra, Telengana and Tamil Nadu. Regretting, despite several reminders to the Central and State Governments to make merit the primary criteria for admissions into super-specialty courses, ‘some privilege remains unchanged’ 68 years after Independence.

Barely, had the ink dried that RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat jumped in feet first by opining that the reservation system needed to be reexamined, sparking protests from across the political spectrum. Even the BJP was forced to disagree by asserting there were no plans to scrap reservations, walking a fine line balancing demands from powerful upper castes like Gujarat’s Patels and Jats in other States while the JD(U)-RJD guaranteed more quotas.

Given the level of dishonesty and irresponsibility which governs our political system, what happened was expected. Against the backdrop of our netas penchant for electoral expediency, all care two hoots for the long-term consequences of a facetious seemingly reformative but inherently dangerous policy of reservations, an invitation to disaster.

If our leaders really mean business, why don’t they start with themselves? Why don’t these champions of Reservation Raj, start by reserving 50% seats in Parliament and State Legislatures for the SC/STs and OBCs. How about having at least 27 per cent reserved ministerial posts?

Look how the proposal for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislatures has been hanging fire for over two decades. Let charity begin at home. Never. Simply because they don’t believe in walking their talk. Given that politics is all about conning the electorate, skimming their votes with ‘feel good’ populism and sound bites. Failing to realize that the move could boomerang.

Questionably, is reservation an end in itself? Has any objective study been done to find out whether those provided reservation have gained or continued to lose? How does it better the lot of the ‘deprived’ if a few persons get educated or get jobs? According to Justice Shyam Sunder, former Chairman of the National Commission on Backward Classes, the politicians have converted reservations into a circus”.

Whatever happened to merit and excellence? Is it fair that a meritorious person is denied admission because his quota is full? When does justice supercede competence? And backwardness equality assured by our Constitution? Are caste-based quotas the answer for maintaining India’s social fabric and harmony?

Is it fair that a meritorious person is denied promotion because his promotion quota is full? What purposes does reservation serve when an officer is unable to cope with the decision-making process? How is the Government going to avoid reverse discrimination? How will promotions grant SC/STs a ‘proper place’ in society?

It should be remembered that social justice and equal opportunity is not the prerogative of a chosen few. How does it better the lot of the mass of SCs/STs or OBCs if a few persons from these castes or tribes get jobs?

Besides, none has given thought to the demoralising impact on qualified persons denied admissions to colleges and jobs. What happens to them? Where do they go? Look at the grim truth. Fifty per cent of IITs’ reserved seats remain vacant (as the much lower entry marks were not secured by SC/OBC students).

According to an academician, over 85,000 seats remain unfilled in the engineering stream in DU. Less said the better about teachers. Are our politicians aware that over 500 vacancies exist in the reserved teachers’ quota for colleges simply because no candidate could pass the Merit Eligibility Test.?

Moreover, while the labour force is growing 2.5% annually, employment is rising by 2.3% resulting in increasing joblessness. Thus, none has given thought to the challenge of absorbing new entrants to the job market, 15 million every year and clearing the backlog. In this scenario where do quotas fit?

Pertinently, the danger in imposing arbitrary promotion quotas in medical colleges or Government is four-fold. One, working and excellence standards would be crippled by ineptitude, ineffiency and backlog. Two, it would be difficult to attract and retain qualified people as they could lose out in the promotion race.

Three, many continue to be unprepared for the intense competition and ‘grading on a curve’ that they are thrown into. Four, any deterioration in the quality of governance would short-change Modi’s quest to market Make in India economic growth.

Sadly, those who feared that reservations would land India in a quagmire have been proved right. Over the decades, our polity has made quotas and queues into a political milch cow. Merrily converting positive affirmation into vote percentages wherein social and economic upliftment is weighed on the scale of vote-bank politics.

What is deplorable is that in pandering to the vote banks, the Centre has unwisely opened the floodgates of demands for an increase in quotas. There has been a 90% increase in the number of centrally notified OBCs from 1,257 castes in 1993 to 2,297 in 2006. From the bench mark of 50 per cent set by the Supreme Court to 85 per cent in some States.

Alas, netas are falling over each other in positioning Ambedkarism as the ideological alternative to Gandhism. All seem to have forgotten that Ambedkar wanted to do away with the quota policy after ten years. Said he: “Supposing, reservations were communities totaling 70% and only 30% posts retained unreserved, would anybody say 30% reservation was giving effect to the principle ‘there shall be an equality of opportunity?’ It cannot be, in my judgment”

True, the Government’s fundamental mission is to uplift the poor, provide education and equal opportunities for all. However, it needs to remember that caste-based quotas have become divisive and self-defeating.  Reservations are no answer to fulfilling people’s aspirations. Social justice is undoubtedly desirable and laudable, but it cannot be at the cost of good governance and need-based development.

Quotas in the name of charity are bad. The time has come to rise above mindless populism and petty politricks and cry a halt to reservation, which are detrimental to long-term national interest and growth. Specially in today’s highly competitive global world, where the race for supremacy in Asia is hotting up between China and India.

Clearly, if unchecked reservation will be India’s death knell. It will only further divide people on caste lines and increase the chasm between the haves and have-nots. Remember, great nations are made by its people’s intellect. Thus, for India to attain that pinnacle of success, merit alone has to be the sole criteria. Else reconcile to becoming a nation of mediocrity! --- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)