The backbenchers

Sir ? Ramachandra Guha may be in right in observing that Indian society is deeply divided and that firm measures are required for the uplift of the backward classes (?Classy cast of mind?, April 29). Yet one cannot but ask if one?s caste is the real impediment to one?s progress, or is it one?s financial condition? A meritorious Brahmin boy born to poor parents may not even be able to afford school education, whereas a scheduled caste or a scheduled tribe boy, who does not study hard but has parents who are third generation beneficiaries of the quota system, may sail through. Is this social justice? There are many poor SC and ST students who deserve assistance, but there are also many poor, upper-caste and so-called ?privileged? people who need the same attention.

Quotas for the reserved categories need to be revised so that families who have already benefited from reservations cannot avail of the benefits once again. To right a historical wrong one should not make preference a norm. Instead of introducing a quota system in the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institutes of Management, where one would not be able to survive without a strong educational foundation, it would be more logical to start government- sponsored coaching institutes for the underprivileged castes which will prepare them for these institutions. If the government promotes mediocrity in the name of benefaction, it should prepare itself for more brain drain.

Yours faithfully,
Pratik K. Roy, Chennai

Sir ? Many castes, creeds, linguistic minorities and religious sects are poorly represented in various fields. Bengalis are poorly represented in the army, the Assamese have little presence in the Indian cricket team, Gurkhas are poorly represented in the film industry and so on. Will the government provide reservations for all these people? The policy compromises on quality. Reservations mean ?reverse discrimination?, which is against all principles of equity and justice.

Yours faithfully,
Asoke C. Banerjee, Calcutta

Sir ? Once we accept the policy of reservation, there is little sense in fighting over numbers. The fact that a sociologist like Andr? B?teille has supported reservations is no proof of the efficacy of the policy. Having agreed to a 22.5 per cent reservation for the SC/ST category, why should the country be made to acquiesce to a largesse of 50 per cent reservations for the backward categories in jobs? A more feasible solution to the problem would be to improve education at the primary and secondary levels. But that would require too much commitment from politicians obsessed with electoral calculations. The government has no mechanism for tracking the performance of the candidates who are allowed into institutions on the basis of quota. The increase in reserved seats will make these institutions increase enrolment to keep the number of general category seats constant. This will adversely affect the student-teacher ratio and academic standards.

Yours faithfully,
Partho Datta, Calcutta

Sir ? What the founding fathers of the Constitution could never imagine was caste labels becoming new status symbols in India. We must remain fully committed to the development of the backward and weaker sections of society. But the real issues of social equity and merit must not get neglected because of reservation politics. While pushing up the elites among the SCs and STs, the government has left Dalits in the lurch. It is necessary to create a true democracy and stop assessing backwardness solely on the basis of caste. Reservations actually allow vested interest groups benefit at the cost of the disadvantaged.

Yours faithfully,
J. Akshay, Secunderabad

Sir ? Assuming that an OBC candidate gets into a premier institute on the strength of quota, will he survive the hurdles he will face? Unless he is well-versed in English, is computer literate, well-conversed in management sciences, the fundamentals of technology and the like, he will be at a total loss in class. Even if he manages to get through the academic session, no blue chip company will hire him unless he proves his worth. A state-wise survey should be done to determine the approximate number from the backward categories who are keen to join management institutes. They should be trained to be on par with other students who take the management entrance tests. The quota system will then become redundant.

Yours faithfully,
Jayanta Kumar Dutt, Calcutta

Sir ? It is time the issue of reservation was taken beyond the narrow concerns of caste. Andr? B?teille?s argument that reservation is an acknowledgement of a need to redress a historical injustice is irrational, since injustice cannot be remedied through another injustice. It was the policy of selective education that gave birth to this historical injustice. It must be corrected by a policy of universal education, not merely at the primary level, and the cost of this education must be borne by the state.

Yours faithfully,
P. Banerjee, Durgapur