Reservation (Aarakshan)

In February, 1948, Dr. Ambedkar presented the draft Constitution to the people of India. Dr. Ambedkar had a tough time fighting the evil of untouchablity and hence the constitution had many things to do-away with this evil. Included, among others, was one i.e. Reservation policy to bring down-trodden in parlance with the general class people. This was, ofcourse, a noble move, but today, it has taken an ugly shape, to which, perhaps, if Babasaheb were alive, had not justified. His noble move is being misused by the political lobby for their own benefits. Even today, the poor, down-trodden and oppressed people remain there only and the ripe fruits of reservation are being picked by those who have already crossed the poverty-line and are in the best financial and social position.

The government should now come out of the age old criteria of giving reservation benefits on caste/race basis. Instead the new policy of extending reservation facilities should be such where in the social and financial levels should be fixed and upon one's reaching that level, the reservation benefit should be withdrawn and extended to the next in queue. As in government services, once the service is given on the bases of reservation quota, why to continue the same for one's promotions throughout his career? Once job is given, government's responsibility to bring the person in the main stream should be over. Afterwards it should be the effort of the person concerned to compete with others, use his skills and brain and come forward. In today's' scenario, where there is cut-throat competition everywhere, only the skill, efficiency and brains can bring the nation and its economy forward, not the CRUTCHES OF RESERVATION. Those, who themselves are disabled and moving with the help of crutches, how they can help others?

Remove their crutches and let them learn for themselves how to withstand today's challenges. The government should not go on making such people of country more and more disabled and poor of brain and efficiency for its own interests.

Actually, what I feel is that today the need is that rather such people themselves should come forward and bluntly refuse to accept the reservation, except for once to make them stand on their own. Only then the government will realise that the reservation card is no longer going to help it. Otherwise, the government, in fact any, will never try to touch this issue and the dalits and all such poor, down-trodden will always remain their hot-cake and the reservation their ace-card and at the end, looser will be the beneficiaries only, not the government.

One small fact all such people should remember that the child is given helping hands only till such time, he learns to balance and stand on his own, not throughout his life, unless he is handicapped or disabled.

S.K. SUNGER

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