No reservation please!

Reservation is a touchy subject in India. Historically introduced to right the wrongs of colonialism and uplift the subaltern, the issue of reservation today can single-handedly cause violence, riots, and utter chaos. The most recent incident took place in Manipur where the state High Court, much beyond its brief as now mentioned by the Supreme Court, recommended that the majority group of the Meiteis be given Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation. This move has long been opposed by other tribal groups that fear it would lead to a smaller share in the reservation pie of the hill tribal communities. The discontentment and protests started peacefully led by the student organization, All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM), in the 10 hill districts. But when its march in Torbung area of Churachandpur was breached by an armed mob that attacked the Meiteis, all Hell broke loose. Several districts of the north-eastern state burned as violent clashes gave rise to mass exodus of both Meiteis and Kukis, the inexplicable loss of lives, vandalisation of houses, churches, temples, and widespread arson.

Could the state administration have handled this better? Most definitely. Could the violence have been avoided? The jury is still out on that one. The issue of reservation has for long been at the forefront of much heartburn in India. I remember seeing it first hand during my reporting days in 2008 during the Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan. Clashes had led to bloodshed and upset villagers had blocked train lines with their dead. Highways were blocked or damaged, public property was ransacked. At that time, the Meenas didn’t want Gujjars to get reservation. Till as recently as 2022, Gujjars were protesting against Paharis getting reservation in Jammu & Kashmir. And the saga will continue.

Mine may not be a popular opinion but the truth is that reservation irks me. I fully acknowledge that the genesis of the idea was well-placed. But decades later, it’s a ruse for petty politics. In its worst avatar, reservation is a means of cheap appeasement. Hand out reservations to sections of the population and ingratiate yourself to them. They become the wily politician’s willing voters. This vote bank politics has long been the bane of our existence in India. The best politics in our country is the politics of deprivation. The poorer and weaker the masses, the more vulnerable they are to fall for short-term gimmicks and sops. We get so sucked into the ethnic, social, and religious quagmire, that no one asks the pertinent questions about development, education, jobs, and all-around progress.

Is there still a need for reservation? Indeed, there is. But I strongly opine that reservation should be on the basis of economic status and not religion or caste. I remember this well. There were many students from extremely affluent families with parents in civil services no less who had availed of quotas to get admission. That same SC/ST/OBC/religious quota would better serve a needier candidate. The rich and powerful among many reserved groups actually benefit from reservation even though they do not need it. The misuse of reservation is rampant in our country.

There is also the uncomfortable topic of what happens to merit in India in the face of increasing reservation quotas. Currently, reservation to SCs, STs and OBCs is given at the rate of 15 per cent, 7.5 per cent and 27 per cent, respectively. The EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) category has 10 per cent reservation. Will reservation ever end? How have we failed to edify marginalized sections of society even after decades of giving quotas? We need a study on the effectiveness of reservation in India and the time still needed to scrap all caste and religious-based reservation entirely. Ultimately, reservation has to be in political interest to see the light of day. Nothing else explains why the high-profile and essential Women’s Reservation Bill that promises 33 per cent seats to women in the Lok Sabha has been left in the lurch for almost 27 years!

The writer is an author and media entrepreneur. Views expressed are personal