Through the lens of this Nation 51.

IS RESERVATION COMING TO AN END IN INDIA?

It is one thing to criticise a government and another to find fault with their policies. But to understand why a certain policy/practice was thought of, and incorporated in the first place and later allowed to evolve, would make for better understanding.

The whole of last week we saw a video going viral in the social media. In that you see, Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, screaming, that if BJP comes to power, they would finish all reservations to SC, ST and BC and let equality take over as per our constitution. The moment this video appeared in the social media; it went viral. Then, you saw one of country’s opposition leader, going wild, explaining in all his election speeches, how BJP and Amit Shah, would finish reservations to all, if they came to power. 

THE FACT IS: ‘THE AMIT SHAH VIDEO’, IS A FAKE. AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE GENERATED VIDEO. It was created and let loose, in the social media just to upset the affected electorate. There by gain electorally against the ruling dispensation. 

What is Reservation?

 First let us look at what is meant by reservation. In simple terms, reservation in India is all about reservation of access to seats in government jobs, educational institutions and even in legislatures to certain sections of the population.    

The very first thought in this direction was first voiced by a thinker and social activist, by name Jyothi Rao Govind Rao Phule, who in 1882 had the Bombay High Court declare that Hindu marriages, even without Pandits and Purohits was legal. It was then, that the concept of caste-based reservations was initially conceived by William Hunterin 1882. 

This was the precursor of the ‘British Hunter Commission’ of 1882. This gave rise to a form of reservation during the rule of Samant’s in 1891. Then reservation was adopted in Kolhapur, in Maharashtra in 1901. At this stage, certain British administrators recommended reservation, purely with the intention, of divide and rule, in 1908. Next, they used this as a formula to divide Bengal on communal lines by giving reservation to certain constituencies made up of a certain community. As a result, in 1909, they passed the Morley Minto Act of 1909. As per this act the Morley-Minto Reforms, made room for Muslim membersto be elected by only Muslim voters, thus dividing the electorate on communal lines.Certain groups objected vehemently to the application of this reform, by agitating to this way of dividing the society on communal lines. 

Then the Britishers, true to their nature, instigated the benefiting communities, to organise a thanks giving meeting, to thank Britishers for giving them this reservation. The Indian Muslim League was thus born, at the behest of the Britishers, which later led to demanding a separate Muslim Nation. (It was similar to the birth of Indian National Congress, also at the behest of Britisher Mr. A O Hume as its first General Secretary in Bombay in Dec1885.)  

The reservation system as we know it today was then introduced, through the ‘Communal Award’ by British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald in 1933. After a flurry of objections and negotiations, the ‘Poona Pact’ was finally signed, between Gandhi and Ambedkar, leading to a single Hindu electorate with reservations. Initially, reservations were only for SCs and STs post-independence. The OBCs were later included in 1991 based on the Mandal Commission’s recommendations. All these reforms, recommendations, inclusions and exclusions weren’t without their inevitable political fallout.

What was Mandal Commission?

The Mandal Commission which was appointed under Article 340 of the Constitution, aimed to define “socially and educationally backward classes” and to recommend steps for their advancement. Thecommission identified approximately 52% of India’s population as OBCs, proposing a 27% reservation in government jobs for them. It developed indicators of backwardness and compiled extensive lists of backward castes among Hindus and non-Hindus. The Supreme Court, in 1992, upheld the 27% quota for backward classes but limited the reservation beneficiaries to 50% of India’s population. 

The Argument in favour of Reservation: Reservation is crucial to rectify historical injustices, level the playing field for disadvantaged sections, ensure representation, and uphold equality as the basis of meritocracy. It addresses systemic discrimination andprovides opportunities to those historically deprived of resources.

Argument Against Reservation: Critics argue, that reservation perpetuates caste divisions, fails to address economic progress, erodes self-respect, hinders meritocracy, and is exploited for political gains. The concept of the ‘creamy layer’ is seen as insufficient, and reservation is perceived as a mechanism of exclusion. Just as Britishers used reservation in the past to divide Indians as Hindu Muslim, and then to divide Hindus as Upper Castes and SC/ST, the subsequent Indian politicians used reservation to gain electoral success. 

Conclusion: Even in the 2019 General Elections we saw an Italian lady trying to divide the Lingayat community of Karnataka, to gain electorally by doing so. Now again we see, a certain section of the opposition, trying to gain votes by using reservation as an issue to steal votes from the ruling dispensation.

Major Biddanda Nanjappa,
Recipient of  President’s Gold Medal
Convener FMCGT Forum.
The facts and views presented are of the author.