From quite sometime I was thinking to start a blog on other than tech stuff. But it keep on getting postponed, but yesterday I read an article related to "Reservation in India" on one of the popular news website. There was a plethora of comments that readers have made on it some in favor of reservation and mostly against it. I too expressed my view there in comments, a few people agreed and some other argued, but after a couple of hours my comment got lost under the heavy inflow of comments. This encouraged me to start my postponed blog and so here I am with my views on reservation.
Initially I was strictly against this but gradually I started feeling that its a must for society like that of ours and thus now, "i am in favor of reservation in India".
What is Reservation
Reservation is something that is needed to make a sort of equilibrium between various communities by empowering those who are backward and under-represented in our society.
Actually its lot more than above two lines but I feel essence is that only.
How it should be
Reservation is to get equality between different sections of society, so it should act in way that may make under-privileged sections able to compete.
People should not be given advantage while getting jobs or college seats
instead they should be given upper hand in becoming capable enough to compete for these jobs and college seats.
Those who are under privileged must be given cheaper
education, food, living conditions, probably some hostel facilities or
like.
Giving easy pickings at jobs and seats at prestigious universities
is like giving "walking stick" to a normal person, which will ultimately ruin his ability to walk properly on his own. Government should
try to make people able to compete rather than spoon feeding few.
Zoo tigers who are spoon-fed loose their capability to kill and die soon if left in open forest.
How it is currently
Currently reservation in India is just a little more than a political tool to attract voters.
There are two major issues with current implementation. First is that it is taken as a sort of revenge, "till now we were denied fair chances so now we should get chances undeserving". Second is, its based on caste.
Although both are harmful but I feel later is rather more drastic as its dividing our society.
Impact of current system
Going this way, even if we somehow we reach near balance between the societies(which is highly unlikely), that wont be sustainable as "easy pickings usually go easily as well".
Also there may remain a pain in heart of lot of people who will feel deprived of chances even being deserving and that because of people who are not capable.
What can we do
This menace can stop only when those who are under privileged will start feeling that they are not under privileged any more, which seems impossible but is not. This can become reality if we all start thinking positively.
First of all stop hating reservation in its entirety and start collaborating to help those who are under privileged, join NGOs who work for such causes.
Secondly, try to elect representatives in political system that are learned and not those who ask for vote on name of their caste. And if you get some such good politicians then urge them to take this system in correct direction by improving education system and discouraging caste based reservation gradually.
Third and the most important step needs to be taken by those who are currently getting benefits of reservation, they should two things, one is to capitalize well on opportunity given to them(so that nation may not suffer due to incompetent people at important positions) and second to educate others from their society to become potent to compete rather than taking advantage of an unfair system.
