Affluent Must Give Up Quota In New India

Sameer Patiyal

(The writer is based at Palampur)

Undoubtedly, our constitution is reservation friendly, but nowhere in it is the term backward classes defined? So how can the reservation be made for some that has not been defined? Taking benefit out of this constitutional inadvertence, some self- acclaimed backward groups including Patidars of Gujarat, Jats of Haryana and Rajasthan’s Gurjars, Marathas of Maharashtra and Kapus of Andhra Pradesh raise their illegitimate demand for inclusion in Backward Class status. Forcing the system to succumb to their demands, sometimes they play havoc on the streets as we have witnessed in many states. Moreover, they are constantly being strengthened by the political backup, which was apparent in the decisions taken by the successive governments during the last few decades. So these groups might increase in the near future.

However, the judiciary is playing its role effectively by straight away rejecting these unconstitutional demands. In 1963, the Apex Court put 50% cap on quota, still many states, including Tamil Nadu with 69% and Rajasthan 68%, have crossed this limit. Compromising the very soul of the constitution, some state governments have even attempted to implement reservation on religious basis. Andhra Pradesh introduced 4% reservation for Muslims in 2004. Likewise, Maharashtra government also added 16 % reservation for Marathas and 5% for Muslims in 2014 but these decisions were quashed by the respective High Courts.

Certainly, no government would ever show courage to quash reservation policy, but it can at least provide to every citizen the environment in which no one would feel vulnerable or alienated in his own country due to the poor implementation of quota. Besides this, no community would ever dare to blackmail the system. Therefore while making arrangements for quota, the government of the day must keep in mind Article 14, 15(1), 16(1) and 16(2) which guarantee equality to all. Last year our honorable prime minister urged the rich people of India to give up subsidy on gas cylinder for the sake of needy people, and numerous people responded accordingly. Same logic can be experimented in the scheme of reservation too, since the major purpose for introducing this scheme was to give every disadvantaged group the adequate representation in the country.

How can you rationalize the reservation being offered to one who has every resource at his disposal including expensive education, even if he belongs to the caste which was once oppressed? Similarly how can anyone justify the quota being enjoyed by the same person repeatedly, first in acquiring higher education, then in obtaining job and promotion as well? I am not against reservation but my simple objection is about its pathetic execution. How can an affluent lower caste individual share the equal right to claim quota with his underprivileged counterpart? If India honestly wants to eradicate backwardness, then just wipe out this injustice prevailing in our society. The New India, which the PM dreams about, will not emerge unless the government brings some game changing reforms in the reservation policy.

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