What is more important – Reservations or addressing basic necessacities?

 

“Reservation for the downtrodden sections should continue since there are disparities in society. The youth can think of removing quota after fighting for an equitable society.”(19.11.09, TOI, P. 13) Comments like this forces one to think – seeing the ground realities in India, what is more important for giving relief to the victims of disparities/exploitation  – reservations or to urgently address their basic necessities like ‘Roti, kapada aur makan‘, population control, incentives for small families and disincentives for large families, literacy, awareness, opportunities available to them for their betterment, proper employment, information about civic facilities to be provided by agencies of government at central, state or municipal levels? Which are the areas, where reservations could be really beneficial for really submerged individuals belonging to backward sections of society? One or two persons belonging to backward castes joining the power echelons through reservations could not serve much purpose. Have not the experiments on reservations done during 20^th century’s failed to bring in the desired results or to minimise

the absolute of number submerged people? What is the definition and limits of disparities? Has reservations succeeded in removing or stopping the growing trend of disparities?

The reality of the day is that real issues have taken a back seat in governance. Political leaders do not care for real social reforms. They care only for numbers and generating their vote-banks. Instead of giving stringent punishment to exploiters and oppressors, providing basic amenetias like drinking water, house, food etc. and strictly enforcing anti-discrimination statutes in jobs and institutions of learning, they prefer to populist measures.

 Reservation is being used as a weopon for forceably changing power equation. The logic that a few persons on top would boost up morale of the whole community and more persons at the top would improve things for people at bottomhas been belied by past experiences. It has only created new category of same breed of ruthless rulers. It is a blatant attempt to distribute power amongst elite more evenly rather than to bring about social change.