Introduction to Reservation Reservation: Opposing and Supporting Points Solution to Reservation or Social Difference in Society | Letters from M.k. Gandhi to Adolf Hitler |
Introduction to Reservation
Reservation or Arakshan in India is a very sensitive issue. Reservation is given to certain people or categories of society, which aim is to remove the social differences in Society. Reservation is there in every department of every sector in India.Because of reservation to several communities based on casts, candidate with merits find difficulty to get their aim, while candidates with lower merits enjoy it.
People who support it and People, who are against it, have their own reasons to support their view points. Here, we are trying to discuss it open ended and we are discussing views of both the parties against and support of reservation. This view points, we come across by discussing different persons at different forums.
Read both view points and decide it yourself. Why reservation is necessary and why it should be removed...
| Against Points | Supporting Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Why it is even required at first place. | It is just the politics of politicians to gain votes, current generations do not believe in cast system. So, there should not be any reservation in very first place. | Certain communities in India are still backward in their social and economical status, so they require it. |
| Selection on the basis of merit | Basis of selection should be merit only. Because of the selection are not based on merit, quality decreases and then how India will develop. And because of it, merited candidate suffer, who put lot of hard work and time but they do not get selected. While others get selected even merit much below then them. | People in reserved category generally have lack of resources and have unfavorable condition because of that it is difficult for them to get merit. True development of any society is only achieved when everyone in it have chances to grow. As far as concern to decrease in quality for India as a whole, then it must be understand that talent is a thing which can be generated in someone if he/she have favorable conditions around them and have the willpower to improve them. Most of people have willpower to improve themselves, but they usually lacks in other requirements for success and talents. So, talent and success is the function of TIME, favorable conditions, and personal willpower. So, if a system truly tries to provide favorable condition to everyone then it will not result into decrease in quality. While generally because of strong social (not necessarily economical) background, people in general category have greater chances to survive, they only fight for achieving their dream, while reserved categories because of weak social background are only fights for survival more then to follow their dream. And survival should be given at priority in comparison to the dreams. However, if one’s dreams are true, then he can get that even in reservation system. |
| Why don’t they believe on hard work to raise their merit? | Because of reservation they become handicapped. They don’t want to do hard work, they do not study and work sincerely. Even we saw in colleges, student who came there with the help of reservation are very bad in study. Even after so many years of reservation if they can’t improve then they can never because of their mentality of getting easily selected. Then, why should general category persons suffer because of them. | It is not that reserved category not do hard work, and they are any less in their mental capacity and intelligence. It is their social background and lack of resources, which make them perform poor. Ask yourself with open mind, that why reserved categories which are more in numbers than the general categories, get selected with very low percentage compare to percentage required in general category. It is simple to answer that they don’t do hard work and lack of sincerity and will power. While real answer is because of some psychological (not the mental) problems generated because of their weak social background. Once, somebody from general category said that my bie (housekeeper) is better than me, because her child will get benefit of reservation not me. But answer lies in very statement. She is your housekeeper and you are a rich person, who need reservation here, since you are rich and know many influential people so you have a greater chance of achieving higher life style. How suppose to her child can get marks more than you, because she can not give peace of mind (a very important thing to get success), education, finance to her child. |
| Reservation on basis of financial condition | If reservation is for improving the poor then reservation should only be given on basis of financial condition of one. No other reservation should be allowed. | Except the cases when somebody don’t have any family and living as hand-to-mouth, Financial condition usually do not prohibit anybody from getting success, if he truly try. If it was incorrect then there were no so many inspiring stories where a poor person gets rich. Let us try to understand it with help of a scenario, 2 persons named john and David with same intelligence and hard working nature, have same exam next day. Now, somebody with the help of his gang, have slapped the David on his cheek. David knows that his exam is more important than any street fight, so he decided to study instead. But he do not able to concentrate on study because revenge is going on in his mind even though he don’t want to think about it, result is john got 90% marks while David got 65% marks in exam. Reason of this result is not less hard work and less willpower of David, it is because the psychological problem generated to David because of situation. By telling this scenario, I am not trying to say that everyone who got less marks have been beaten by somebody, but I am saying marks does not reflect the hard work, intelligence of a person, a person can get less marks because of some psychological problems generated because of his surrounding conditions. And such backward communities are generally having weak background and have very less representation in front fields, because of most of front field represents by general category. They don’t have any business, which generally give tension in their and their parents’ mind because they don’t have any alternative carrier, which ultimately destroy the peace of mind. This creates negative thoughts around these backward category people. And one other minor reason can be that financial condition of anyone can not be determined easily, while cast can be determined more precisely. |
| Reservation to creamy layer in reserved category | Some people in reserved category have good wealthy condition. They should not be allowed to get benefit of reservation. | Their wealth may be increased but their social background as a whole is still weak. Problem generated because of weak social background are transferable from one generation to other, because of many reason. Like, their parents are still abusive because of their own frustration. They still don’t have any alternative successful career or businesses. Also creamy layer people can use only same reservation category, then why should other category people worry. |
| Is reservation only a political stunt to gain votes? | Reservation is only a political stunt of politicians; otherwise people generally don’t believe in cast system. | People get votes and they get selected on the basis of reservation issue that only affirms that reserved category is more in number. Even they are more in number, they are lacking in social front because of social differences in Indian society. |
| Do other countries have reservation? | Other countries also have some social differences but they don’t have reservation, India should follow them in this. | In India social differences is emerged for some kind of wrong practices and cultures, like religious duty is performed generally only by Brahmins, businesses are generally done only by Baniyas etc. These wrong practices and culture still deep down in the Indian society. Morals and principles of a person should be emerged from heart and intelligence, not by culture and practices. |
| When will reservation removed from India | Initially reservation was given only for few years but because of these politicians it seems it will never going to be removed, and it will keep dividing people. | It is not removed because social condition is still not changed. Pick business or general news paper, how many people you see from reserved category mention there who are getting success. Even with larger population ratio there representation in front field is still very small. Reservation can be removed if its need removed. And the need of reservation can not be removed by reservation alone. People should help each other. If a society, stop looking only at their family and community, and helps people in need. Reserved category person helps general category person and general category person helps reserved category person. And helping do not mean to do charity, charity do not help anybody. Charity instead is a bad thing. Helping here means help them to grow, have a career, work etc. Then in such society competition among reserved category will also increase (with some respect to population proportion) and then there will be no reservation automatically. |
Solution to Reservation or Social Difference in Society
- Ending Reservation in one day and then there will be no basis of differences in society. But Social differences will be still there, because of family, clan, influences etc. Also family name will also be there. Because of these social differences and unbalancing of influence in society, some socities will become more and more backward in respect to other society.
- People of different categories should help each other and then there will be no requirement of any reservation as shown in 'Aarakshan' movie. But though, this situtions seems to be idial, but it does not look practicle, it is very difficult that people's mind will be changed all of sudden, when there still the social differences in society.
- Use systematic way to remove social differences first.
- Start another Social category, say XC (i.e. Anonymous Category).
- To come in XC category, basic step is to change the surname of child before the age of 8th or 9th standard of schooling i.e. at age of 14 years. These surnames should be from a set of fix number of surnames (e.x. 5-10 surnames). And these surnames must not indicate religion, region, cast etc. We can use referendum or detail discussion to fix these surnames. This way a person will become legally in XC category.
- People having legally XC category should get reservation on some conditions. These conditions must be that for starting a legal XC category person’s father should also be of legal XC category, reason is without this a person can still get advantages of social difference of society. Second condition must be if a person get advantage of XC category, but later changes his surname which do not represent XC category, then his/her property should be taken by Government.
- As the ratio of XC category increases, there reservation should increases. This process keep continue till everyone come to XC, by leaving all social differences in society. Or 5% open seats remain for persons of both XC and non-XC category at last.
| First letter | As at Wardha, C. P., 23-7-'39 Dear Friend, Friends have been urging me to write to you for the sake of humanity. But I have resisted their request, because of the feeling that any letter from me would be an impertinence. Something tells me that I must not calculate and that I must make my appeal for whatever it may be worth. It is quite clear that you are today the one person in the world who can prevent a war which may reduce humanity to a savage state. Must you pay that price for an object however worthy it may appear to you to be? Will you listen to the appeal of one who has deliberately shunned the method of war not without considerable success? Any way I anticipate your forgiveness, if I have erred in writing to you. I remain, Your sincere friend, M. K. Gandhi Herr Hitler, Berlin, Germany |
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| Second Letter | As at Wardha, December 24, 1940 DEAR FRIEND, That I address you as a friend is no formality. I own no foes. My business in life has been for the past 33 years to enlist the friendship of the whole of humanity by befriending mankind, irrespective of race, colour or creed. I hope you will have the time and desire to know how a good portion of humanity who have view living under the influence of that doctrine of universal friendship view your action. We have no doubt about your bravery or devotion to your fatherland, nor do we believe that you are the monster described by your opponents. But your own writings and pronouncements and those of your friends and admirers leave no room for doubt that many of your acts are monstrous and unbecoming of human dignity, especially in the estimation of men like me who believe in universal friendliness. Such are your humiliation of Czechoslovakia, the rape of Poland and the swallowing of Denmark. I am aware that your view of life regards such spoliations as virtuous acts. But we have been taught from childhood to regard them as acts degrading humanity. Hence we cannot possibly wish success to your arms. But ours is a unique position. We resist British Imperialism no less than Nazism. If there is a difference, it is in degree. One-fifth of the human race has been brought under the British heel by means that will not bear scrutiny. Our resistance to it does not mean harm to the British people. We seek to convert them, not to defeat them on the battle-field. Ours is an unarmed revolt against the British rule. But whether we convert them or not, we are determined to make their rule impossible by non-violent non-co-operation. It is a method in its nature indefensible. It is based on the knowledge that no spoliator can compass his end without a certain degree of co-operation, willing or compulsory, of the victim. Our rulers may have our land and bodies but not our souls. They can have the former only by complete destruction of every Indian—man, woman and child. That all may not rise to that degree of heroism and that a fair amount of frightfulness can bend the back of revolt is true but the argument would be beside the point. For, if a fair number of men and women be found in India who would be prepared without any ill will against the spoliators to lay down their lives rather than bend the knee to them, they would have shown the way to freedom from the tyranny of violence. I ask you to believe me when I say that you will find an unexpected number of such men and women in India. They have been having that training for the past 20 years. We have been trying for the past half a century to throw off the British rule. The movement of independence has been never so strong as now. The most powerful political organization, I mean the Indian National Congress, is trying to achieve this end. We have attained a very fair measure of success through non-violent effort. We were groping for the right means to combat the most organized violence in the world which the British power represents. You have challenged it. It remains to be seen which is the better organized, the German or the British. We know what the British heel means for us and the non-European races of the world. But we would never wish to end the British rule with German aid. We have found in non-violence a force which, if organized, can without doubt match itself against a combination of all the most violent forces in the world. In non-violent technique, as I have said, there is no such thing as defeat. It is all ‘do or die’ without killing or hurting. It can be used practically without money and obviously without the aid of science of destruction which you have brought to such perfection. It is a marvel to me that you do not see that it is nobody’s monopoly. If not the British, some other power will certainly improve upon your method and beat you with your own weapon. You are leaving no legacy to your people of which they would feel proud. They cannot take pride in a recital of cruel deed, however skilfully planned. I, therefore, appeal to you in the name of humanity to stop the war. You will lose nothing by referring all the matters of dispute between you and Great Britain to an international tribunal of your joint choice. If you attain success in the war, it will not prove that you were in the right. It will only prove that your power of destruction was greater. Whereas an award by an impartial tribunal will show as far as it is humanly possible which party was in the right. You know that not long ago I made an appeal to every Briton to accept my method of non-violent resistance. I did it because the British know me as a friend though a rebel. I am a stranger to you and your people. I have not the courage to make you the appeal I made to every Briton. Not that it would not apply to you with the same force as to the British. But my present proposal is much simple because much more practical and familiar. During this season when the hearts of the peoples of Europe yearn for peace, we have suspended even our own peaceful struggle. Is it too much to ask you to make an effort for peace during a time which may mean nothing to you personally but which must mean much to the millions of Europeans whose dumb cry for peace I hear, for my ears are attended to hearing the dumb millions? I had intended to address a joint appeal to you and Signor Mussolini, whom I had the privilege of meeting when I was in Rome during my visit to England as a delegate to the Round Table Conference. I hope that he will take this as addressed to him also with the necessary changes. I am, Your sincere friend, M. K. GANDHI |
