In recent times many peoples are writing on the subject of “Reservation and Merit”, but are representing only one face of reservation. Since majority of these writers seem not to have experienced the pinch of the conditions nor they have read deeply about the subject. Their aim seems only to keep it a point of discussion and try to built atmosphere against reservation for S/C’s; S/T’s and OBC’s.services. If the aims are to discuss the subject to make some consensus to deal with the problem with the human heart it is good thing and should br welcome to all including for whome the reservation rules have been enacted. But if the idea behind it is to keep the pot boiling and see it brusts some day, it is unfortunate.
To my mind what these learned writers have in minds is the sole aim of keeping ahead in race the pampered or Spoon feed meritorious personals in India. Before I go into the merits or demerits of policy of Reservation in India, I may say that in India merit has never been promoted with unbiased mind. Had the rulers of India been selected on merit, the country should have not been facing the present day all round uncertainty and turmoil. The total share held by Scheduled Castes with Constitutional mediatory provision of 15% Reservation in the Central services Class I was almost nil(1952) which rose to 1.18%( 1959) and 10.12%(1995) and in class II it was almost nil(1952) which rose to 2.38%( 1959) and 12.67%(1995). The condition for the S/T’s And OBC’s no different. So their share in Administration soup spoiling is zero. Therefore large scale failure in Indian Law and Order, judiciary, poverty alleviation, education , Financial irregularities , Planning, Health, Foreign policies ,corruption eradication, arresting swindling of money into foreign Banks, political immorality, administration goes to the credit or discredit of pampered or Spoon feed Meritorious manager. Fully man made merit manned the Indian Army which was so far less infected by corruption virus is showing green postures to corruption. The unholy cow of NDA and other recruitments is now feeding on currency fodder notes. The coffin purchase scandal of Kargil , supplying over date ration to soldiers, purchase of sub slandered ammunition with projected shortages in it cannot be the making of reserved class people. The man made meritorious generals have succeeded in bringing bribe money in the High security office of Indian Army Chief which can be termed as Security Break Toffee. I do not think any reserved category bird could have flapped its wings in the vicinity, in view of the security rings put in place around the Indian Army Chief office. India has lost many wars in the past where only man made meritorious personnel’s were in charge of war affairs. Our failure at the hands of China in 1962 and loosing a large territory. Also announcing unilateral ceasefire in Kashmir 1947 and losing control on territory beyond LOC are glaring instances of our merit failure.
As I have already said caste dominated India have never valued real merit but birth based merits. From the days of Aryan invasion more than 2500 years ago Indian has followd birth not worth supremacy. Since the Hindu one sided Laws were framed like “Manusmirity”. Under Hindu Law Codes for Upper Caste Hindus got 100% clean jobs reservation and Shudras as labourers or forced labour assigned dirt professions. There by the Indian Untouchables classified as Shudra and Ati- Shudras continued suffering from Caste made Dragon’s Law for over 2500 years. The Caste Hindu never showed sympathies to the meritorious Shudras their religious brethen. In Satya Yuga Lord Rama assassinated Shudra Rishi Sambuk on a made up Storey by a Brahmin. In Doapara Yuga Guru Dranoachaya cut the thumb of Shudra Eklavya to keep supremacy of Arjuna in archery. Indian women continued suffering “Ahalaya” and “Dropati” way with out any mercy from so called learned virtuous persons. Many more similar instances can be quoted where merit was reported to be controlling factors. In modern times Babu Jagjivan Ram was denied his rightful claims of becoming Indian Prime Minister four times. Late Demodran Sanjivayya ( Andhra Pradesh CM) the very first Chief Minister from Scheduled castes in free India made to resign to accommodate N. Sanjiva Reddy ( Upper Caste) from whom Sanjivayya took over only 790 days. Recently Karnataka Chief Minister Shri Sadanand Gowda , Kokkalinga by caste( Untouchable) removed to make way for Shri Jagdish Shettar, a Linguist ( Upper Caste ) on the advice of former Chief Minster Shri Y.S.Yaddurappa who is neck deep in corruption cases during his Chief Minster ship and was forced by Law to quit his post just 11 months ago. Although S/C’s, S/T’s and OBC together are in majority in Karnataka.
As and when by chance Dalits has been given a chance to show merits they have shown miraculous results. Bhagwan Valmiki and Ved Vyas have given Hindu Epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. Bhagwan Valmiki gave shelter to Sita Ji and her sons. Dalit Engineers Nal and Neel made Ram Settu to cross over the sea to invade Ravana. Alexander could not dare to go over Beas River where Founder of Nanda Dynasty (424 BC-362 BC) Mahapadma alias Nanda ruled. He was the first non Khatriya king whose mother was Shudra. In recent past Mahatma Jyotiba Phule (1827-1890) gave new directions to Socio-political theory. Dr BR Ambedkar (1890-1956) Father of Indian Constitution gave new laws replacing partisan Manu’s Laws. Babu Jagjivan Ram (1908-1986) gave Green Revolution as Indian Agriculture Minister, making food scare to Food surplus India. Babu Jagjivan Ram as Indian defence Minister with Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw both non upper caste Hindus won 1972 Bangla Desh war so brook Pakistan apart. Baba Jiwan Singh (Bhai Jaita Ji) Rangreta a Mazbi Sigh did the rarest of rare feat in bringing Guru Teg Bahadu’s Head from Delhi to Anandpur Sahib. Dalit martyr Jhalkaribai Kori( weaver Caste) actually fought against British forces wearing Rani Jansi’s robes. Amar Sheed Udham Singh Kamboj (Chamar) by caste shot and killed, Sir Michael Francis O'Dwyer, who was Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab in India from 1912 -1919 and endorsed General Reginald Dyer's action regarding the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Sport wizard P.T. Usha and Oscars’ reward winner Pinki are Dalits. Tenth Indian President Dr K.R Narayanan (1920–2005) proved Working president and not mare rubber stamp. Some others can also be quoted, who excelled despite their lower caste tags.
People offen quote Gandhi Ji And Dr Ambedkar, who were the brain sbehind granting Reservation rights to Depressed Classes people . Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Ambedkar were two contemporary Indian Political heroes. Gandhi Ji backed by millions, money power and Castes fought for Indian Independence. But poverty ridden Dr Ambedkar single handed fought for freedom, liberation and equal political rights of Indian Dalits from age old religious suppression and exploitation of higher Caste Hindus. While supporting the common cause of Indian Liberation Dr Ambedkar often said “I am fighting to liberate Slaves of Slaves in British India”. So differences in views and perception of both doyens of freedom were but natural. To the caste war Gandhi Ji held views that it needed social counselling medical treatment so Harijans need educationally and financially upliftment. Dr Ambedkar held the views that so such treatment shall work, as despite his being most highly educated, he is still untouchable. The problem needs surgical treatment.
Another misconception is about continued reservation beyond its initial 10 years perception is only a half truth. Ten years was the period for political reservation not for Reservation in services. It was promised on the presumption that within 10 years after the adoption of Indian Constitution complete disparities’ on account of economic, religion, education and social system will be removed. This supposition promised to create level grounds for equal progress of all Indian free of social, economic, education, religious, caste or sex exploitations. But the presumptions and promises have not been honoured by the persons who are running the State affairs. The rulers in India instead of removing these anomalies are busy in filling their coffers with ill gotten money and propagating against constitutional safeguards for minorities and weaker sections of society. India has now become major law making but poor law enforcing world over. Here laws are enforced selectively. This is creating conditions to force Dalits to think of getting POONA PACT provisions scraped. If it is done besides other things their political representatives shall first prove their loyalty towards their Dalit brethren which is now missing and causing lot of strains on this account to Dalits. Political Reservation has made majority Dalits leaders as deaf, dumb and sycophants, to whom Sahib Kanshi Ram termed them as CHAMCHAS of party bosses majority of whom belong to upper castes.
The present day merits can best be termed as bookish merit not knowledge merits. The bookish merit has been found to be mostly based on corruption infested systems and is manipulative. The race is not between equals, but highly unequal’s. The teaching staff, infrastructure starved government school pass outs mostly Dalits are competing with Doon, Sindhia, Dalhousie school pass pampered and spoon fed meritorious. The spoon feed meritorious have money, political and bureaucratic pampering coupled with paper leaks, free mass coping facilities etc. Almond feed pampered birds are made to compete with empty stomach and clipped wings birds. Cheers to those poverty ridden, ill feed meritorious persons, who despite lack of their worldly riches still adorn merit lists. Let us draw lessons from
Horace (65 BC –8 BC) who said "As a rule, adversity reveals genius and prosperity hides it." V. Kiernan, Horace: in Poetics and Politics says “At bottom, all the problems that the times were stirring up were of a social nature, which the Hellenistic thinkers were ill qualified to grapple with. Some of them censured oppression of the poor by the rich, but they gave no practical lead, though they may have hoped to see well-meaning rulers doing so. Philosophy was drifting into absorption in self, a quest for private contentedness, to be achieved by self-control and restraint, without much regard for the fate of a disintegrating community." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace)
Swami Vivekananda while writing to one of his friends wrote, “ Human society is in turn governed by four castes—the priests, the soldiers, the traders, and labourers, each state has its glories as well as defects”
“When priest (the Brahmins) rules, there is a tremendous exclusiveness on hereditary grounds—none but they have the right to impart knowledge. Its glory is that at this period is laid the foundation of the science”
The military (Kshtriya) rule is tyrannical and cruel, but they are not exclusive and during that period art and social culture attains height” The commercial (Vaishya) rule comes next. It is awful in its silent crushing and bloodsucking power. Its advantage is, as the trader himself goes everywhere, he is good Disseminator of ideas collected during the two previous states. They are still less exclusive than the military, but culture begins to decay.” “Last will come labourer (Shudra) rule. Its advantages will be distribution of physical comforts, its disadvantages (perhaps) lowering of culture. There will be great distribution of education ...”
“The first three have had their day. Now is the time for the last—they must have it. I am a socialist not because it is a perfect system, but half a loaf is better than no bread. The other systems have been tried and found wanting. Let this one be tried. A distribution of pain and pleasure is better, than always the same persons having pains and pleasure”
” (Soami Viveka Nanda (Builders Of India series ) Govt Of India MO I&BC
While speaking in first RTC London Dr BR Ambedkar said “We must have a government in which men in power knowing where obedience will end and resistance shall begin, will not be afraid to amend the social and economic code of life which dictates of justice and expediency so urgently called for ” We need to accede to the advises of the great men of education , vision & experience for the good of our country & society so as to strengthen the bonds of fraternity among all sections of the society
It is therefore in the collective interests of us all that we obey canons of Constitutional Laws else we may face Mahabharata like situation, when all sane godly good words of Lord Krishna failed to pursue adamant Duryodhana and Bharat lost its everything in the Epic war. The only thing we boast is our Astha or deep faith in our religious ways, but it has failed to provide bread with honour living conditions to millions particularly those who have been segregated centuries ago from the main stream due to manmade hate. Reservation aims are to share not monopolise.
No comments:
Post a Comment