Recently there was a debate, on whether Indian Constitution should be amended so that, incorporate economic criteria based reservation in the place of caste based reservation system. Here will discuss, to my potential need to continuation of affirmative action like caste based reservation system and how to ward-off caste based reservation system in a gradual manner..
Is that caste based reservation system sole motive is to alleviate poverty? Answer is certainly no. Historically certain so called lower caste people have been culturally uprooted, economically marginalized, politically dis empowered and socially discriminated by the so called upper caste people. In order to compensate centuries old injustice and humiliation for the lower caste people, Positive discrimination or reservation system is an attempt to redress their socio-economic and cultural problems in a holistic manner.
Then why there is a debate about shift from Caste based reservation system to Economic based system? Because As an eminent sociologist Andre Beteille pointed out that, poverty is more contagious than pollution (lower caste). I'm sure, we might have come across situations where, so called higher caste people also struggling under poor conditions. But to alleviate their poverty conditions and uplift from BPL(Below Poverty Line) to APL, Indian nation state is embarked on social welfare schemes. I think we need to implement poverty eradication schemes in a robust manner rather than abrupt shift towards economic based criteria of reservation system.
Then next query could be how many year we need to continue caste based reservations and where there is an end to the caste based discrimination? I think it is difficult to answer the above queries because:
1) Emergence of caste based political parties. e.g. BSP, SP, RJD, etc
2) Recently Indian government embarked upon gigantic exercise of Socio-Economic Caste Based Census
3) Caste based mobilization, etc
4) Mckim Marriott says, caste lies in the minds of the people.
I think there could be some self initiation and self introspection from the low caste people, who really doesn't need use of reservation system after at least one or two generations. Eg. SC/ST/OBC civil servants, business people dont need caste based reservation system after one or two generations.
The above step, could be a good start to mitigate suspicion among the upper caste poor people and leave positive impact on the whole system.
Is that caste based reservation system sole motive is to alleviate poverty? Answer is certainly no. Historically certain so called lower caste people have been culturally uprooted, economically marginalized, politically dis empowered and socially discriminated by the so called upper caste people. In order to compensate centuries old injustice and humiliation for the lower caste people, Positive discrimination or reservation system is an attempt to redress their socio-economic and cultural problems in a holistic manner.
Then why there is a debate about shift from Caste based reservation system to Economic based system? Because As an eminent sociologist Andre Beteille pointed out that, poverty is more contagious than pollution (lower caste). I'm sure, we might have come across situations where, so called higher caste people also struggling under poor conditions. But to alleviate their poverty conditions and uplift from BPL(Below Poverty Line) to APL, Indian nation state is embarked on social welfare schemes. I think we need to implement poverty eradication schemes in a robust manner rather than abrupt shift towards economic based criteria of reservation system.
Then next query could be how many year we need to continue caste based reservations and where there is an end to the caste based discrimination? I think it is difficult to answer the above queries because:
1) Emergence of caste based political parties. e.g. BSP, SP, RJD, etc
2) Recently Indian government embarked upon gigantic exercise of Socio-Economic Caste Based Census
3) Caste based mobilization, etc
4) Mckim Marriott says, caste lies in the minds of the people.
I think there could be some self initiation and self introspection from the low caste people, who really doesn't need use of reservation system after at least one or two generations. Eg. SC/ST/OBC civil servants, business people dont need caste based reservation system after one or two generations.
The above step, could be a good start to mitigate suspicion among the upper caste poor people and leave positive impact on the whole system.
