For Reservations sans reservation!

The chorus is at a crescedo. Every politician or party worth the name seems to have a quote of lament to offer on the quota issue in unaided private colleges. And why not? After all, the recent decision of the Supreme Court rejecting reservations in admissions to such institutions hits at the core of their existence and threatens their bread and butter. The underprivileged sections of the country may be striving for one square meal a day but is it not a fact a whole lot of politicians have been making a wholesome living out of their plight?

The question whether the Apex Court bombshell would destroy social justice as they claim or not will only be answered by time, but there at least seems to be some poetic justice in the judgement. For it is the politicos’ double standards that have now come home to roost. If their concern for the weaker sections had been sincere they would never have in the first place allowed education, particularly, professional education, to pass into private hands. But they presided over the rather smooth transfer unabashedly and without a stir in their conscience. In fact, many politicians, ex and current, actually own and run colleges, that being a natural business opportunity for them and a safe bet to park their ill-gotten wealth.

This is a reality in the entire country and more so in Tamilnadu. Today, therefore, the politicians stand accused, not before the Supreme court, but the people’s court, that they so often invoke with impunity. The original sin of abdication lies with them. This being the case, their attempt to project the issue as a matter of confrontation between Parliament and the Judiciary looks comical.

A careful reading of the SC judgement would reveal that the learned Bench had largely confined itself to the current case of applicability of the quota system to non-aided colleges and not delved much into the merits of reservations. The underlying theme of the unanimous judgement as revealed by several observations is simple and straight: Having privatised, the State has no business to dictate!

Sample some of the comments:

‘Neither the policy of reservation can be enforced by the State nor any quota or percentage of admissions can be carved out to be appropriated by the State in a minority or non-minority unaided educational institution’

‘Unaided institutions, minority or non-minority, as they are not deriving any aid from State funds have unfettered fundamental right to choose students and the procedure, subject to its being fair, transparent and non-exploitative.’

The debate in the country should be actually about the efficacy of reservations in attaining the Constitutional objectives that it was purported to achieve. It is common knowledge that reservations as ordained by the Constitution was meant only for a limited period. It is a different matter that this has not only been extended by successive regimes, but more and more castes and sub-castes were brought under the umbrella, primarily for vote-bank considerations.

The flip side is that, even after over fifty years of reservations, if educational and professional aspirations of the underprivileged sections remain in the realms of dream, then this means the system, as it has evolved, has failed to deliver too. A recent pronouncement, titled ‘Emancipation Proclamation’ by a group of about twenty industrialists led by Ratan Tata says the entire generation of dalit/tribal people with degrees from Indian institutions were found ‘unemployable’ and has stressed on ‘skill upgradation’. One can contest the finding as well as the attitude of the ‘Bombay Club’, but ignoring it would also be folly compounded.

Clearly the intent and system of quotas for the socially backward classes have been subverted so as to completely render the whole scheme infructuous as it stands today. The first subversion was perpetrated by the politicians who found in the provisions a huge opportunity to build vote-banks and a career. If castes were touted as the bane of Indian society, caste-based reservations have divided the society even more and the politicos were the biggest beneficiaries. For them caste blocks constituted one bank on which they could write any number of blank cheques. The gullible masses always honoured them little knowing that they are being victimised by their so-called saviours. How else can a Ram Vilas Paswan or a Ramadoss’ PMK figure in virtually every government that had adorned Delhi in the last eight years or so? Where is social justice in their politics? Is Anbumani’s appointment as Central Minister when he was not even an MP a step in the advancement of social justice? Were there not other less privileged candidates who would have qualified to become Health Minister under the ‘quota system’ in that party? Then why lecture the world? Well, this stands as a shameful example of how the system has been perverted.

The other subversion has come from the people themselves. Many see in this system a shortcut to personal growth and prosperity. To be underprivileged is actually deemed a privilege by many. A lofty scheme to help the deserving has degenerated into a race for securing backward class certificates so much so that the line of thought amidst the youth, the lazy and the zealous alike, is that one has to become backward to move forward!

Clearly the politics of reservation and the profits of reservation have overshadowed the principle of reservation!

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