Winnowed argues for caste-based reservations:
In my opinion, purely caste-based reservations do perpetuate caste divisions in the short term. However, they also uplift untouchable and backward castes, to a large extent, though it is at the expense of the upper castes. If (social and economic) upliftment of the lower castes is the sole objective behind reservations, rather than doing away with caste altogether, then caste based reservations do work. Tamil Nadu is a perfect example of this phenomenon. Since many decades, Tamil Nadu has had up to 69% reservations for admissions to colleges and in state government jobs. There has been a great degree of social and economic mobility as a result of this. Sadly the Tamil Brahmin community has been largely driven away from the state as a result of this reservation policy (coupled with the vehement anti-Brahmin rhetoric of various Dravidian parties).
Are reservations at the expense of the upper castes? As the majority of students in all the elite educational institutions in India have been the upper castes, through the years, at whose expense have those institutions been thriving all these years? And at whose expense were/are those students studying at those institutions? And has the Brahmin community of Tamil Nadu truly been ‘largely driven away from the state’? Didn’t know we have caste-based censuses which made such information easily available.
Some of the arguments justifying reservations in the post are good, some are weak. My primary grouse is against the thinking that suggests ‘reservations’ need to be justified. Who exactly needs the justification? The majority, of the castes and the population, who are underrepresented in higher educational institutions and jobs or the minority, of castes and the population, who are grossly overrepresented?
[Thanks, Harini]
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hi
what i tell my students, is that those who have benefited from 5000 years of reservation – have no business complaining about 60 or 120 or even 600 years of reservation.
it’s simple maths –
around 60- 70% of the population (depending on whom you read) is OBC SC ST – what is the proportion of seats and jobs held by these communities.
if there are protests against reservation – as there are bound to be- then ask this question, who owns the media who claims that the majority is protesting against reservations :)
I also agree that there should be reservation indefinitely. However, it has to be modified in the following manner. Presently reservation is made according to caste. But it is not enough if you just take the caste factor alone. You should also take sub caste within the OBC, SC and ST and reservation should be made on the basis subcaste proportion in the main caste. It is said that there are more than 80 sub caste in SC and 720 sub caste in OBC and 35 sub caste in ST. We have to arrive at the percentage of each and every sub caste with in the main caste,viz., SC,ST and OBC. We should also take economic criteria into consideration for determining the quota. Because it is of no use to extend reservation to the family of the Chief Justice of India, viz., Balakrishnan. Instead it should be given to some other deserving subcaste who are economically weak. We should also ensure that in Government appointmens for promotion to the next higher grade, the subcaste should be taken into consideration. If we are list the subcaste in a row according to their social and economic weakness within the OBC, SC, and ST then the candidates belonging to the subcaste of lesser social and economic status should be given preference even though they might have scored less marks than the candidates who belong to a higher social and economic status just like General Candidates Vs. reserved candidates. In other words if India wants the resevation to be extended to all the deserving population belonging to the deprived class then we have bring reservation in reservation. Why we should take merit alone within the caste while we fight for competence with general candidates on the basis of economic and social status. If we don’t accept backwardness within our community then there is no use in fighting for backwardness with external communinity, viz., forward casts.