Apr 9, 2011

The Past and Future of Reservations in India


reservations The Past and Future of Reservations in India

We as students might want to turn tables against the creators of the caste system of India. They divided us into upper and lower caste people. They separated us from our friends who now we think are just here because of what our forefathers have faced. We hate the system of dividing our people-the people of India. Today the situation has become worse.
The youth wants to end this age old practice of protecting people of the depressed classes whereas the politicians on the other hand are using these people as a way to secure more support. They use religion as a weapon for fighting and disintegrated our country into Hindus, Muslims and Christians etc. The Reservation of Seats in government jobs has created many heated debates but, there is always another side to every story. Few unsaidfacts which the Youth of India was never aware of.
All we know about Reservation is that it was meant for the empowerment of the Depressed Class but who are these people and what happened that made them ask for reservation in their own country. In earlier days the Indians were divided into various castes based on the work they did. They were mainly divided into Brahmins – the educated class, Kshatriyas – the knights, the Vaishyas and finally the Shudras.
The Shudras were the most neglected section of this system. They were compelled to do the most disgusting jobs, for better understanding they were treated the way Whites treated the Blacks. Well, it was even worse than that. All the facts presented in Hindu Mythology about Arjun being the best archer coached by Draunacharya is actually untrue. The best archer was Eklavya who was forced to cut his finger by Draunacharya as he belonged to the Depressed Classes. And, it was Draunacharya who proclaimed that Arjun was the best.
This is not it the Manu Smriti made the situation worse. It gave the right to the upper caste to discriminate against the Shudras. These treatments included denial of water supply from the well. Forbidding their entry into temples as the upper caste people thought it might make their temples impure. These people treated Shudras with great disrespect. Their treatment was so bad that it reminds me of our freedom fighters poisoned in the Cellular Jail. So, that’s the way the Hindu caste system treated the people of India.
There were many who tried to save these poor and destitute people from this system. One such name was ofBhimrao Ambedkar better known as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee. He also belonged to the Shudras. When he returned to India after completing his studies he saw that the situation of his people was really bad. They were forced to face humiliation all the time. Such discrimination would hinder their growth as normal human beings.
History says the need of reservation was put forth in the Second Round Table Conference when the British government had decided to leave India. Dr. Ambedkar attended this conference as the representative of the depressed classes. This matter was finally cleared in the POONA PACT with the Indian National Congress.  The only way to save the oppressed class people is by Reservation. It can only encourage these people to go further and achieve their goals without being hindered by the discrimination faced from other sections of society.
The politicians now use these people as the way to collect more and more votes. As a matter of fact, the depressed caste people are about 70% of India’s total population but they change their religion and hide in order to avoid the discrimination meted out to them. Reservation is the only way which is offering them the confidence to come out and achieve their goals in life. It was the only way which made them fulfill their dreams without changing their identity. All that is left to say is that the participation level is still not enough so that we can remove reservation. It is only possible to do so when the participation level is at par with general category candidate’s participation. Then the government can think of removing it.

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