Reservation: Supporting Weaker Sections or Dividing India
Written by Nidhi Tiwari
Sunday, 11 May 2008
The Anti-caste-based-reservation protests 2006, that took place in different parts of our country were in opposition to the decision of the Union government of India, the multiparty coalition 'UPA' (headed by theIndian National congress), to implement reservations for OBC in central and private institutes of higher education. In the year 2005, based on the recommendations of them Mandal commission , the government proposed to reserve 27% of seats in the AIIMS, IITs, the IIMs and other central institutions of higher education for the OBCs in order to help them gain higher levels of representation in these institutions. This move led to massive protests by those claiming that the government's and the Congress party's) proposal is discriminatory and driven by 'vote-bank' politics.
Supreme Court of India upholds 27% reservation for OBC
The Supreme court of India on Apr 10 , 2008 upheld the law for 27% OBC quota the law enacted by the Centre in 2006 providing a quota of 27 per cent for candidates belonging to the in Central higher educational institutions that includes the (IIT's) and the IIM's. But it directed the government to exclude the ‘crème layer ’ among the OBCs while implementing the law and this exclusion has nothing to do with the reservation for SC’s/ST’s.
Protests Against ReservationIn 2006, the HRD minister, Arjun singh promised to implement a 27% reservation for OBCs in institutes of higher education after the2006 state assemble elections, in accordance with the 93rd Constitutional Amendment, which was passed unanimously by both Houses of Parliament. The 93rd Constitutional Amendment allows the government to make special provisions for "advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens", including their admission in aided or unaided private educational institutions. Gradually this reservation policy is to be implemented in private sector institutions and companies as well. This move led to opposition from non-reserved category students, as the proposal, will reduce seats for the General (non-reserved) category from the existing 77.5% to less than 50.5% (since members of OBCs are also allowed to contest in the General category). However, government of India assured that number of seats in these educational institutes will be increased so that effectively there will be no reduction in number of seats available for general category.Events
In an incident on May 13, medical students protesting in Mumbai were lathi-charged the police. The police later justified the incident claiming that the protestors had tried to break into the Governor’s residence and were blocking traffic. The nationwide strike launched by "Anti-reservation" medical students protesting against the lathi-charge, was later joined by resident doctors from all over India, thus effecting the health infrastructure of a number of cities and leading to great human suffereing as many sick persons who were not at all interested in the quota problem were made to suffer.
InDelhi, a human chain rally was organized on May 20, by students of IIT Delhi with the support of PAN IIT. Nearly 150 students went on a 'relay' hunger strike in AIIMS(Delhi) which, lasted for about a month.A resolution, signed by 2,500 IIT Roorkee students and expressing their opposition, was sent to the President, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and the Election Commission. A peaceful protest march was organised on May 23. The following were the demands made by the 'Youth for Equaltiy', the anti reservation student body leading the protests:
Roll back of the proposed hike in reservations .
Setting up of an academic, non-political panel of experts to review the existing reservation policy.
Vacant positions in reserved government jobs to be thrown open for other eligible candidates .
No penal action be taken against the protestors.
A white paper issued on the reservation policy and a concrete statement on the issue by the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Candle light march on the streets of Chandigarh. 18th May, 2006.Several students at the IIT Guwahati decided to boycott classes to protest against the government proposal lead by an undergraduate student from Mechanical Engineering Department, Class of 2007, Mr. Shailendra Kumar Mishra. Mr. Mishra went on a three day hunger strike to protest against the same, finally giving in to dehydration. Supporters of Resrvations arguementsSupporters of reservation say that “Reservations is a means to increase representation of hitherto under-represented caste groups and thereby improve diversity on campus.
They say that” To provide social justice to the most marginalized and underprivilaged is our duty and their human right. Reservation will really help these marginalized people to lead successful lives, thus eliminating caste-based discrimination which is still widely prevalent in India especially in the rural areas. (about 60% of Indian population stays in Villages) .
Reservations in Tamil Nadu over 30 years have worked to such a level that OBCs are able to outshine the Forward Castes and hence the overall performance of the students have increased validating the argument that reservation brings out the best from the weaker sections of the society.
Casteism is the root cause of the suffering of more than half of India's population. To eliminate casteism we need to help underprivilaged people to do well in their education and share the same social status as the upper caste people.
