The ongoing strikes about reservations tells about the dire state in which our country lies.....
Ours is a multlingual...multireligionistic country. Where the differentiation starts perse...... to whom one is born.....to the caste on is appointed to......... to the place one originates from.....the language one speaks...etc.....the list is endless......and the point is where does it end.........it is not cliched.
Thus is the situation, since hundreds of years or maybe even thousands of years...... have we done anything to help it....apart from say......... a gandhi rises against the downtrodden and he dies. Period.
Though i do agree that we are doing something about it........on second thoughts...are we???
The government of India (i'd rather use the term 'we' since we constitute the government and it is we who elect the babus) did not grasp the situation beforehand......and one cannot blame them. As, when the british left India.... the 'country' was composed of a hundred kingdoms under their respective rulers........ who invariably hated each other...... and some thousands or more languages were spoken.........and a few religions that existed....obviously made it difficult for them....to bring such a nation together......and who is to blame ....is it gandhi.........who caused independance to happen.......in the formation of two nations....which could not tolerate the shadow of the other......or it is us????
Here, we are, in the 21st century where....... computers is commonplace......religion, caste, being poor does not hold good anymore.... .and above all english....the ultimate. By which, even the villagers speak the anglicised version of the local tongue. As mentioned before the early rulers of free india could not do much and the later years saw various small portions added to the country........ the awakening of the leaders to the state of affairs.......even so the consequences of the partition could be felt after 5-10 years.
Then, arrived the era of making laws which spanned through a long stretch of time.......we could have made progress...on the other hand....we did not......
Now.....the government realises that the country is out of hands......where a disgusting person ruled the state for 20 years...while the voting power is with the people and no-one else....and lo, they realise that this person is upto no good...and decide to oust him from office..........literally.......the region being rich in natural resources.....history..... and.....in common sense....definately not. The government in it's attempt to equalise the torn society.....did introduce reservations.......and presently....... in the field of higher education.
The outcome......according to me is ridiculous.......as students go shouting on the streets, saying that the merit are not recognised....taking into notice that this idea is still in it's infancy of becoming a law......
On contemplation, has the indian common man been given his due of merit, say...even that of an exixtance as a human being.....or worse possessing a life of his own. Do we think that the days of woe and suffering are past us...and if we think so...the answer is definately....NO.
Dalits are till today, tortured till they embrace death....the surest thing that could happen to anyone. Harijans are made to carry faeces (it is a job where money is given)........a women is raped because her father could not reapy the landlord......bonded labour flourishes.........and the art of killing the poor, ravages like the spirit of a rabid dog....
Coming to thinking of it.....these people are made to do so for centuries and decades..........will they even have the courage to open a book.......forget reading a medical journal. The media has also been doing it's role of hosting various shows which forcasts people and their opinions......and what do we get to hear.........that injustice is metted out to the merit.......everything is politically aligned....and so on and so forth. One of the funniest statements to be on television is that the OBCS' do not know how to read english...how will they read the text books....... on further analysis it is heart-rending to hear somebody speak like this....
Let me take the example of the infamous pourakarmikas' of Bangalore......... i see a mother son duo cleaning my streets every day......they've been on the job as far as i remember....and to think of it....even her father, grandfather has been on the same lines since decades. I approach them....telling him to learn english......the job is done...... can i expect him to read a hi-fi journal....stating that...hey i've taught him english.......it's his job to read the material. The reply is neccassarily negative. He cannot read it simply because....he is not used to...nor his parents are used to......the essential point is that everything takes time......it is inborn or inherited....so as to say.........probably....his children will be able to do so provided that he is able to use his intelligence and knowledge. Intelligence and skill just cannot flash in a second.
The summary of this piece being........since we have not treated peolple rightly.....it is not right on our part to expect miracles to happen.....compulsively....is is time to change our habit and attitude.......and to let things take it's time.......we cannot further it anymore....as it is....we are entangled in this mess.......and to top it all...man is known for his inborn traits of selfishness and jealousy....
PS: Overheard from a respectable lecturer...that if things were to be in the same vegetable existance would have been much better, than the the process of transformation (for the worse????)
Period.
3 comments:
Well said Mouna..
Looks like the basic idea why reservation was brought in is totally forgotten.
In a country like us where from Vedic times we had caste system, one sector of people were always suppressed just because they belonged to that particular caste.
It was appreciatve when we got indpendence that a reservation was craved out to provide an opportunity for them.But what started as this cause, soon turned dirty.
With pity politics & basic human greedy nature, the fruits of reservation never reached the section which it was supposed to be.The result was you continue to see the paurakarmiks for generations..
So whom did the fruits of reservations reach..to the influential section in those 'backward' castes, who in anyother way couldnt have availed these seats/jobs/benefits.So basically they snatched the 'bread' from the actual hungry & needy people.
Now to appease, foolish things like increasing reservations are taken.Will it reach the needy?We know the answer before hand...
If at all they want reservations, why cant they have it based on economic status irrespective of caste.Is it that there are no needy people in 'upper' caste??
You have brought out the things very well..keep it up!
This is not that big an issue.
Population needs much more focus.
So does education.
And to think of it, how many of the lower castes have money as compared to the upper castes? Just compare the percentages and we can get the idea.
For instance, there is this particular gujrati community in which every family has someone or the other outside india already; and the new generation is ready to follow.
The nouveaux-rich layer in these so called lower castes has finally been able to get things along together; but soon they will also follow the same footsteps. Infact as far as we know it, this trend has already started. So the Reservations are actually seeping through! Diffusing layer by layer...
And we know that there are people who make fake certificates as well. Who knows what is the share of such people?? Could it be more than 50%?
Let me take a look back at history now...
Imagine a country where 50% of people are denied freedom of thought and action by birth(or any other reason).
And I'm not talking of slavery here. I'm talking about own people.
Last 10,000 years India has not attacked any country, or that's what has been said. But can u recall how many times india itself has been invaded, and ruthlessly plundered??
Everyday we discover facts to support that our ancient science was far more advanced than any other civilization could dream about that time. How did it rot in between??
The answers are just beyond the horizon. We only have to lift ourselves a bit higher from the stinking filth that we ourselves have created.
Whatever the British build in India was made by labourers consisting of mainly the lower castes. Take a look at the enormous bridges, caves, tunnels, some of the plans of which if taken out in the parliament today, would take 20-30 years to pass.
And the British infantry that won them major wars during the world wars, especially in Asia, Western Europe, and North East Africa; consisted majorly of soldiers from these castes. Where are their stories of victory?? Unforgotten unsung heroes have been made to sell their medals for food during the partition and droughts...
Imagine these soldiers fighting against the Afgan invaders or the British before...
Infact, I don't know what to say more. But i am against total pulling off of reservations, nor do i support the increase in the reservations.
But the reservations should have an economic criteria as well. Which is not the case today.
Thats all.
But i know, just as you do,
any iceberg has a lot more to it than just the tip...
sunnybir,
well,
i think this is an issue, as reservations were created to, may i say, to provide education to a part of the general population.
Upper class, lower class, is something that was 'invented' by man. honest, in not faking certificates lies in the conscience of the person. he/she should have the sense not to avail themselves of something which is not respectfully their's. then, it is a cheap mockery of the entire provision.
unsung heroes, does anybody really ponder on these lines, who built what? it's not in terms with slavery but, can we not regard the point that slavery does make an appearance in this aspect, too... otherwise how people of the lower caste be 'chosen' for such jobs?
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