In my last article, I have talked and discussed at length about the causes and effects of the much-dreaded reservation system currently applicable in India. In this article, we will focus on the real and feasible solutions which will lead to a dilution of this system in a very systematic way.
In the present scenario, we know that the complete removal of reservation in all the sectors will cause a hue and cry and will unnecessarily garner the ‘protests’ which are quite prevalent these days in India.
The first probable solution is the delimitation of reservation in jobs, all the government, semi-government jobs which currently have a quota system need to be revoked. Now, don’t get me wrong I am not saying to come on TV at 8 pm and tell the whole nation that it’s happening tomorrow. Instead, systematically start the removal of quota for the children whose parents utilized the quota to get in a Government job and are now vouching for their kids to get similar treatment.
A system needs to be devised which will tag all such govt employees and will simply prohibit their children to even get a caste certificate. This will ensure meritocracy in jobs which is the economical backbone of this nation.
The second probable solution is to delimit such children whose parents have already got a government college seat and are graduates, post-graduates, PhDs from any government institution, by the virtue of their ‘quotas’. All such children must go through the central and state level exams as a ‘general’ candidate.
The third solution is to slowly but steadily remove the reservation system based on castes and instead develop a system where a person’s family net income stays the only measure to get such quotas, and that should also be for one generation, If the father/mother has got such quota based on economic status, then their children must be prohibited to use the same ’quota’. Now, this solution is somehow being tried to get implemented by the current ruling government but it has been made as an additional thing to the main caste-based ‘quotas’ which roughly form 50% reservation but now the addition of the EWS(Economically Weaker Sections) quota which has been introduced with a capping of 10%, leaves only a meager 40% for the whole ‘general’ category applicants.
The fourth and the most important solution is to get these voices from the most disadvantaged communities who have been kept bereft of all such opportunities. Only the true voices from those communities can strike a balance with rationality and help prepare the poorest to come forward and advocate for their rights. One such voice is Mr. Madhu Paswan, he hails from Sitamarhi, Bihar a state where lower castes are still called out and face discrimination. Madhu is a ‘Dalit' by caste, an auto-rickshaw driver by profession, but his opinions about the nation and society will force you to think.
Madhu says, that we are an important part of society and hence we must get better quality education, but we should not expect any caste-based ‘quotas’. He bluntly says that as a society we are becoming crippled because of this system, he believes that for a diamond to shine, the coal must go through an intense process. “We don’t need crutches to stand on our feet and then dream of a Vishwaguru image”, he adds.
Madhu has pledged to his bit and is facing constant threats because some people from his community don’t want the ‘quota’ system to go away. He has a Facebook profile and uses the social media platform to reach the masses. He says that after reading Bhagwad Gita, he has strongly changed his outlook towards life, he recalls those days of youth when he would come home drunk and was a menace to his family. But, after reading the religious texts he felt a dire need to come out and speak the truth. Madhu and people like him are important because if given a chance he could have easily used his ‘quota ’ to get a govt job or any such privilege, but instead, he has made it his life’s mission to make India stand on its feet rather than on some crutches as he always says. Madhu also gets donations from some generous people and uses that money to teach and feed kids from less privileged backgrounds.
"The real revival of society can only be done when people from all sections come together and face the issue rather than just playing victim politics and keyboard warfare."
Stay tuned to get more such pieces!
Great thinking. The present dispensation at the Centre under the able leadership of PM Modi also seems to be working towards this end