Quotas Circus
By Poonam I Kaushish
The quota circus is back on the political platter as our netagan continue with populist bravado and mindlessness. Doling out reservations like moongphalis to pander to their vote-banks. Big deal if it threatens to destroy the body politic of the nation. Underscoring, 21st Century India still remains the same: Quota is the all-seasons favourites!
See how our politicians continue to bask in reckless ad hocism and announce reservations albeit in the garb of meting out social justice. Haryana announces 10% quota for Agniveers (short-term army scheme) in police, mining and forest which is dittoed by all BJP-ruled States. Bihar up’s its reservation ante in Government jobs and educational institutions for SC-ST, OBC and EBCs from 50 to 65%, Maharashtra grants 10% to Marathas and Karnataka flamboyantly plans 50% jobs to Kannadigas in private managerial jobs and 75% in non- managerial.
Happily, Bihar’s grandiose quota party was nixed first by Patna High Court on grounds of violating the right to equal opportunity for citizens last week and upheld by Supreme Court Monday. As for Karnataka better sense seems to have prevailed following outrage from industry bodies. It put its regressive reservation order on hold. While Haryana’s law granting 75% reservation to locals was struck down by Punjab &Haryana High Court November, Jharkhand and Andhra’s await their fate from their respective high courts.
One can understand State Governments push for reservation laws as there is widespread unemployment-related distress in the country. As leaders are elected by citizens it seems reasonable for rulers to attempt to secure interests of their voters.
Yet, these quotas are not only problematic, don’t make economic sense but also do not measure up to the Constitutional letter and spirit. Summed by the Court: “The concept of Constitutional morality has been openly violated by introducing a separate distinction curtailing the right of livelihood. It cannot be at the cost of nurturing mediocrity.”
Questionably, is reservation an end in itself? When does caste supercede equality, efficiency and merit? Are caste quotas answer for maintaining India’s social fabric and harmony? How does it better the lot of SC, ST, OBC if a few persons get jobs? Has anyone assessed whether those provided reservation have gained or continue to lose?
Does it make sense if someone with 90% in engineering sells medicines while a Dalit with 40% becomes a doctor, thanks to reservation? What purpose does quota serve when a student or officer is unable to cope with the decision-making process? How is the Government going to avoid reverse discrimination?
None care. For Parties it has become the most luscious mistress to be measured through the prism of power glass politics. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Maharashtra to Manipur quotas rule the roost. With all defining it according to their own warped and selfish needs, never mind if the countryside air is rent with cries of aversion.
Importantly, reservation per se goes against Article 15(1). It not only divides people but also harms national unity, integrity and fraternity. We must realize our Constitution-framers had suggested reservations should be for only 10 years.
Unfortunately, ground realities and make-believes sociology do not always correspond. Certainly, social justice is desirable and a laudable goal, alongside Government’s fundamental mission to educate, provide equal opportunities and better quality of life. But it cannot be at the cost of nurturing inequity as highlighted by India’s seven decades of ennui in uplifting them from poverty’s grime bowl which shows no amount of legislation on providing reservation to myriad sections, castes, sub-castes and deprived has bettered the lot of poor, even if a few got jobs and admission in educational institutes.
Moreover, it is dangerous to indulge in stoking rivalries on the facetious reason that it is to boost the down-trodden. Instead, it has created both victims and fake winners. Whereby the mere accident of birth determines whether one is a winner or loser. Bluntly, those born poor are sufferers and those born upper castes are victors.
Worse, no study has been done to find out whether post quotas any effort is made to build up morale of those given reservation to bring them into mainstream. Accentuating that quotes don’t solve what’s wrong with education or provide better quality of life. Universalisation of reservation will mean goodbye to excellence and standards — a ‘must’ for any modern nation that wishes to forge ahead.
The truth is that we are today caught in a vicious circle which has been made a lot more malignant by our petty-at-all cost leaders and their fragmented politics. Not just that. The scepter that haunts us is class struggle: Backwards vs forwards has become more meaningful than Left and Right in politics. Whereby, the whole social reform movement will become meaningless.
Our netas and their progenies should remember that social justice and equal opportunity is not the prerogative of a chosen few. As it stands the system of caste-based quotas has become divisive and self-defeating. The need of the hour is to provide quality education to all, skilling as reservations are no answer to fulfilling the people’s aspirations. By cramming down quotas in education and jobs is like putting the cart before the horse.
The tragedy of India is that its political class wants the present show to go on. Forgetting there is no place for double standards or the Orwellian concept of ‘more equal than others’ in a democracy. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
India 2023 is not India 1989 when 18-year old student, Rajiv Goswami immolated himself in public. Today, the Mandal fiend unleashed by our polity has come to bite. Our netagan have to realise they are dealing with a savvy Gen X and Gen Z aged 18-35 years who constitute 50% population and believe in action not reaction.
They seek jobs on merit in an over-crowed employment market where the labour force is growing 3.5% annually, employment is rising by 2.3% resulting in increasing 7.1% joblessness. Over 7000 had applied for 10 joint secretary jobs advertised by Modi Government recently. Thus, none has given thought to the challenge of absorbing new entrants to the job market, 15 million every year and clearing the backlog. In this scenario where do quotas fit?
Undeniably, the ever-expanding reservation cake is indefensible. Increasingly, socially dominant groups always agitate for inclusion in reserved categories. Whereby, quotas have become a replacement for decades of under-performance in providing basic quality education to all. Consequently, this short-sighted quick fix expansion of reservation has only resulted in hardening of narrow group identities. Bringing things to such a pass whereby electoral power politics has led to numerically dominant groups gaining at the expense of others.
In the final crunch: Provide equal opportunity to all as underwritten in our Fundamental Rights irrespective of caste, creed or sex. Let’s not fudge or forget this. It is imperative our leaders create a level-playing field. Time Centre-State Governments rethink and rework entire reservation policy and stop blind application of quotas. No longer will young India accept that power in privilege can be transformed through electoral competition into power in numbers. Else India will soon become a State of incompetence and mediocrity. What gives? — INFA