Some individuals and sub-groups of society suffer discrimination. They are left out of the development process due to
a, inhuman social beliefs and practices of caste, religion, place of domicile, gender or
b, inevitably due to the one-up man ship of the competitive survival of the fittest in economic growth process.
Economic development is quantifiable economic growth and progressive change in the social-cultural-economic modalities of life and the society. It is the duty of democratic good governance to identify the marginalized and give interventionist support for them for inclusion in the development process. Even in the first five Year Plan (1952-’57) Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru highlighted this aspect of the Indian Planning. But it is the market- oriented LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation Globaliasation) that aggravated the pathos of the marginalized who were being made poorer. So Eleventh Five Year Plan slogan of “Inclusive Growth” got projected as the new cliché.
Reservation is for including the marginalized into the main stream to create a more democratic and egalitarian society with participative freedom in the socio- politico-economic functioning of the society. Reservation and inclusive growth are complementary functions.
Three important types of reservation policy are:
1...Political reservation quota in the legislatures, Local Self Government bodies (For e.g.: SC / ST / Women, etc)
2. Employment reservation in recruitment and promotions in the Public Services and in Private employment. (e.g.: 15+7.5 + 27 for the SC/ ST/ OBC respectively)
3. Educational reservation for admission in Public and Private Institutions, 15 % management quota, 50 % for minority community in their institutions etc
I do not intend to expand these issues now.
Caste based reservation given to SC / ST was for a period ten years. This was revived at the end of each period. After 60 years it is still being extended in the Independent India. Anti- reservationists argue that it should be stopped and the resources diverted to other areas like development of rural population who form 60%. Compared to city dwellers they are discriminated and are not able to participate fully in the development of the economy,
My submission is that marginalization of the less endowed individuals and sub- groups of the society are perpetual phenomena. Human endowments (abilities) vary from individual to individual and ethnic, geographical, religious or other criteria groups. This may be natural or acquired genetic factors or due to specialized training. In the competitive market-oriented economic growth process, the less endowed are left out. It is an unequal race like of an able bodied running with a disabled. Those who have more abilities are already much ahead of the marginalized. They run ahead and faster making the relegated to fall far behind at each step-in the race.
Dr. Dean Inge Arch Bishop of Canterbery wrote “if you want to educate a child, think hundred years earlier”. In other words it takes four generations of learning and development to come to the stage one wants. But by that time the more advanced, get ahead, by a gap of five or six generations.
Caste based reservation in India is a great success. It made many of the SC / ST to move up in the social ladder to middle class. But many still lag behind despite all the resources so far spent on them. The first and second generation learners cannot easily reach the standard of the fourth generation by reservation policy. That requires special effort to run faster and only expert runners can achieve it. Special training to compete with mainstream competitors may lead to greater successes of the reservation policy.
We cannot wish away reservation. It is to provide equal opportunities to the marginalized or those getting behind from others. It was a persistent need from the time human society came into being. The Anti-reservationists can perhaps clamour and end the caste based reservation. Even then the other and new varieties of marginalization will crop up and will cry for reservation and Government intervention. Need for reservation and inclusive growth will continue to exist. We cannot wish it away.
15 Oct.2010
Prof. Joseph K Alexander
Chairman IIPA. KRB
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