AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PM OF INDIA AGAINST THE CASTE BASED RESERVATION SYSTEM

To,

The Prime Minister,

India

The higher secondary exam of various boards throughout the country is over. The Students are done with almost all the entrance exams by now. They are going to take the next big step on which their future will be entirely dependent on. But I am pretty sure; plenty of them will start this most important journey of their life with despair, dejection and with wrath in their heart for the system.

 Why??? Ok, that’s why I am writing you this letter.

How do you expect the candidates to feel when they will be denied to take the subject of their choice? How do you expect them to feel when they will be denied to get admission in the college they have always dreamed about despite of getting the eligible score for it? 

If it’s their fault, they will accept it. But if it is because some seats are already reserved and someone who have scored comparatively less is placed in the front of the row by the Government just because that someone belongs to some particular caste, don’t you think it’s enough to fill them in anguish, despondency and frustration?

You know what; mediocrity is a sin in India.  In India, either be a Topper or have a quota or live your entire life cursing the system.

Toppers mostly carve out their place, though they too are affected by this reservation system. But the persons who get affected the most are the “average students”.  Either they have to compromise with the college or entirely with the stream they have always wanted to be in.  When their parents refuses to pay high for the private colleges or to get them their favorite branch, all that they do is that they curse this system and their fate for being born in the so called higher caste.

You won’t understand how it feels when your place is taken by some undeserving candidate. I know, I am no one to call anyone undeserving but it is the same rank list which displays my rank displays some of their ranks too, way below mine. It is only the reservation which drives the reserved candidates in the rocket speed and launches them at the top where they grab the place that I deserve the most.  It’s on you to judge now. If the general candidates are denied of a particular seat to someone and if they are declared undeserved for a particular seat even after scoring comparatively higher, don’t you feel there is something wrong in this system, something an average countryman/woman to be angry about?

Is it their caste?  Isn’t it that all are equal under law? Isn’t that the constitution of India is not a caste constitution? Anyways, if it is all about the caste, then I am not at all responsible for the formation of it.  It’s like punishing someone for the crime that his grandfather had committed. Here, even my grandfather too was a victim of this caste based reservation system. Yes, I completely understand that this caste based reservation was implemented for the upliftment of some downtrodden castes in India.  But now don’t you feel that the caste based reservation is working more for the upliftment of the already uplifted ones?  You want to provide an equal ground for all…great, go for it but mind you, not by killing my rights.

The caste based reservation has become a privilege now. It’s like the Krish power which is getting transferred from the grandfather to the father and then to the son.  It’s no more a tool to bring equality; it has become a weapon of benefit for certain group of people.

A person who is an officer in some government department, who had inherited the caste card from his father, who too had held a good position, empowers his off springs with the same. Now his sons/daughters who already have access to good education, good environment and have good financial status will enjoy the caste based reservation, not even once but as many times as they want to and this benefit will get passed to the generation following them. When the reservation system has already uplifted them, then why does the Government need to empower them again with the right to reservation?  Isn’t it a privilege that the Government is providing wrongly?

If we will look into the other side and see the story of millions of general candidates then we will find that it is gruesome.  The caste based reservation system have always discriminated them and provided them with an unequal battle ground.  This system has killed the dreams of millions.  This system has kicked away many deserving and capable candidates while giving place to the undeserving candidates carrying the reserved caste card.  This is one of the reasons why the premiere Government institutions in India are losing their luster and name in the international level.  I strongly feel that If India has lost its pace for the development it is partly due to this reservation system which has discarded capable persons from taking positions and have placed comparatively less capable persons with reservation in their place.

If providing equal ground to all is the prime aim of reservation, I don’t understand why it is needed to be carried on even after a candidate completes her/his graduation and seeks for job or higher studies. The reservation system has already provided them the equal ground. The reserved candidates got the opportunity to study and flourish in the same institutions where the general candidates study. Now, both of them obtained almost all the resources by the government in equal. Then why do they will be entitled again with the reservation when it comes to higher studies and jobs?

In the name to create equality, the system is spreading inequality and discrimination among millions of youth in India.

I won’t go into the statistics. You have better access to them. As per the law the reservation can be given up to 50%. That means 50% of anything only remains for the general candidates. Kindly go through the statistics which will clearly depict you the huge population of the general candidates. Don’t you feel that it is unfair and unjust on the general candidates for creating a tough and unequal ground of competition for them?  Reservation gives leeway of 10%- 40% reduction in various parameters in India. It’s not an equality of opportunity but it’s an unfair playing ground.   

Even after so many years of implementation of caste based reservation, did the system succeed to reach the root level? No the government has failed badly. Still now there are tribal areas that are yet to see the light. They are devoid of even the basic necessities of life. I wonder if they have ever even heard of reservation. This caste based reservation is benefiting only the creamy layer of certain castes and it has failed badly to reach the impervious areas that need upliftment in the true sense.

Does government have no machinery to find out the percentage of truly disadvantaged people of the reserved category? Does Government have no way to find out the percentage of people of reserved category who have already been benefited and have come up in their life? What is the point of benefiting the already benefited ones?  Here a general category poor candidate who needs a job is discriminated and his place is given to someone less deserving while on the other hand the government is busy providing privilege to the candidates belonging to an affluent family just because they have a reserved caste card.  What is the point of providing scholarship to a candidate just because she/he belongs to the reserved category despite of the fact that her/his parents have already enjoyed the benefits and now hold a prestigious position. I think that poor general candidate needs assistance more and there are millions like him.

Why reservation? Why not resources? Is the Government afraid that the resources will not reach the needy? The resources will get lost in the way and instead of helping in the upliftment of the downtrodden it will fill the pockets of the channels it will pass through, isn’t the Government afraid of this? So, the best way is to continue with the Caste based reservation, the easiest and the cheapest way, right?

Sir, Can’t your Government build up strong, honest and strict machinery that will ensure that all the aids and the resources by the Government reach the needy that will bring development in the true sense?

Don’t you feel the reservation system is putting a question mark on the credentials of many deserving candidates belonging to the reserved category? Their achievements will be always weighed by their caste not by their talent.   

The castes are anti-national. Caste based policies are divisive, anti-secular and anti-progressive. Caste cannot be a class to define the “backwardness”.  An individual is underprivileged, not the class. The most important reform that is required in the present situation is a departure from the “group centric” affirmative action to the “individual centric” benefits. At present benefits are being extended to a class    (described as caste) which has resulted in formation of unholy caste based lobbies. 

The time has arrived when we need to uproot the caste based reservation from our country and provide benefits to the financially downtrodden individuals irrespective of their caste. Caste conscious measures can never eliminate caste consciousness from our society.

Sir, the whole youth of this country had roared for you in the last Lok sabha election.  We had a faith that you will provide us a progressive egalitarian society. We still nurture this faith within us. We want India to be free from the caste based reservation system. Sir, don’t let the fire of anger, inequality, broken dreams and failed attempts of millions to engulf the peace of this nation. Don’t let millions of youth to come on to the road in the demand for banning this reservation system. Time has arrived that your Government should think, talk and act quickly on this topic.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully

AN INDIAN