In this part, I wish to touch upon the approach to democracy in our country.
So first of all, what is it that I mean by "approach to democracy"? I refer to our understanding of the term, and its application. We understand democracy as a process, a process of liberation, a process of enlightenment.
Why then, do we have a notorious history of communal violence, despite claiming to be a secular nation? Why then, do we have a concept of reserving seats in medical colleges for the underprivileged ? And why is it that we confuse support with pampering?
These topics deserve a separate time for writing, and they are subjects by themselves. In this blog, I will touch upon the topic of reservation briefly.
To begin with, reservation began as an aid, a crutch to help the crippled in Indian society. It served as the prosthetic leg to replace a lost one. However, the idea of reservation as the proverbial prosthetic leg has lost ALL sanctity today. It is no longer an aid, but the main preference for some people. There are several people who wish to be enlisted as Scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST) or as other backward classes (OBC) - to gain benefits, even if they do NOT need them!
Inequalities caused by birth are unreal. They are illusionary, and can be wiped out by a mere thought. Education being a powerful force, does not distinguish between high and low, rich and poor. In today's time, our emphasis must be to ensure education reaches all levels of society. The free and compulsory education bill was finally tabled in parliament in this session, and came as a welcome first step to this cause.
So does democracy mean creating a level playing ground, or furthering the divide by drawing thick, artificial lines? The answer lies in the former. My argument is that the entire concept of reservation, does NOT hold good in an emerging economy - India does not deserve this tag of "underprivileged" anymore. For us to create a truly level playing field, we need to smoothen the process by ensuring education reaches all. This of course means removing corruption, creating public awareness, introducing incentives for educating the girl child and a promise of a dignified vocation. Reservation CANNOT ADDRESS these very fundamental issues.
So, democracy is required to be ploughed back, till we "wipe every tear from every eye" and till the "poorest of the poor" is delivered of his need. It certainly does not end by creating a make believe shelter which is prone to the geo political exingencies of the complex Indian political plethora. Democracy and foreign policy, which I propose to discuss in Part 4, will explore these geo political exingencies in greater detail.
Democracy is a unifying force. It belongs to all Indians, and not just to a few babus sitting in the plush environs of New Delhi. I urge you to rephrase your thoughts on democracy as regards the caste system, and usher in a renaissance of liberation.
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2 comments:
I feel that the present reservation system needs to be re-looked at rather than being discarded... Otherwise the capitalism will eat away everything leaving the poor always so...
I would suggest that the reservation should have a different basis rather than present caste / religion systems... May be family income, urban exposure, etc... to provide a equitable platform for all...
@rajan: I completely agree with you. When we bring in reservation, we are creating an unequal field. The objective of reservation, when it was instituted, was to create a level playing field for all of us. Now, no one can argue that he / she is backward, or does not feel equipped to take up academic / professional challenges. So, if we create a divide by way of reservation now, we are going against the objectives of fairness and equity.
We should give financial aid to the needy to make sure that they are not unfairly derecognized. But, this is prone to corruption in our country, and must be handled carefully.
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