Do we need reservation? This is a controversial question. One section of the society says that reservation divides the society and sows the seed of enmity, conflict, friction and disharmony, while the other section says that reservation is essential to bring the suppressed and the downtrodden to the main stream of the society and for the all round progress of the society.
Broadly speaking progress is of two types. The first one ensures the progress of haves only. The rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer. This type of progress can be seen in a Capitalist Society. India is a Socialist Country. Here the Government has to bridge the gap between the haves and the have nots. For this some privileges are given to the weaker section of the society to ensure their progress. In our country this privilege was given in the form of reservation. Article 15 of our Constitution guarantees us Right to Equality which states that the State shall not discriminate against any person on grounds of religion, race, caste etc but Article 16(4) empowers the State to make special provision for reservation in favour of backward classes, which in the opinion of the state are not adequately represented in the services under the State. Besides this Article 15(4) empowers the State to make special provision for socially and educationally backward classes. Now since both types of contrast provisions are there in our Constitution, a need to strike balance between them arises.
Reservation had been such an issue on which even the Courts have given quite contradictory judgments. In Balaji versus State of Mysore the Hon'ble Supreme Court observed that national interest would suffer if qualified and competent students were excluded from admissions, while in Indra Sawhney versus Union of India popularly known as Mandal case the court by 6-3 majority upheld the decision of the Union government to reserve 27% government jobs for OBCs, provided, creamy layer among them are excluded.
Reservation had been surely a blessing for the landless, exploited and weaker sections of the society who were punished for even touching the shadow of a higher class person. They could not go to the temple or draw water from the public wells. They were humiliated and despised. They surely needed help and the provision of reservation proved to be a blessing for them. Now, they could also dream of a bright future. Their caste now was not the criteria determining their profession but only reservation cannot improve their status and their educational standard. It would be better if the Government starts a head-start programme of providing them with facilities such as education based on modern technique and demand, besides food and health care, right from childhood, and thus making them competent to compete with the other sections of the society rather than relying on the clutches of reservation. Reviewing reservation policy from time to time and adopting economic criteria for determining backwardness are also ideas worth giving a second thought.
N.R Narayanmurty had once said "India is the only country where people fight to be backward". This was seen time and again but recently in Rajasthan we saw the most violent form of demand; the demand to be called backward! It is said "As you sow, so shall you reap". The weeds of division have been sown now and then for temporary political gains. We cannot expect any harmonious result out of it.
According to our Constitution, India is a Socialist Country. Reservation was a tool provided by our Constitution framers to achieve the goal of socialism enshrined in the Preamble of our Constitution. This tool must be used judiciously and not for personal or any political gain. Besides this, ignoring, the advancement of the rest of the society altogether, in zeal to promote the welfare of the state, would be suicidal for a country. Hence, there is a need to strike a balance between progress and welfare.
