Bhala Chandra Shadangi
In a desperate and cynical move, the BJP-led government at the Centre moved to amend the Constitution to provide reservation for the economically weak upper castes in admissions to Educational institutions and in government jobs. The poor among the SCs, STs and OBCs are excluded from this quota.
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It is an attempt by the ruling RSS-BJP to consolidate votes of upper castes and woo chauvinist elements among them who had agitated against the Centre seeking an Ordinance to annul the effect of the Supreme Court judgement in connection with the Prevention of Atrocities (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Act.
The government pegging the household income ceiling for a member of an upper caste to be considered economically weak at Rs 8 lakh per annum indicates that the move is not really meant for the poor. It is only a diversionary tactic. It is cynical also as the number of jobs in government and public sector enterprises have declined under the BJP government. It is a clear admission that the government has failed to create jobs.
Though the government has been flaunting high economic growth through some statistical jugglery, the growth is limited to wealth of a very small section
Though the government has been flaunting high economic growth through some statistical jugglery, the growth is limited to wealth of a very small section; the growth has come at the cost of a large number of jobs.
The government’s move to introduce the new quota is without constitutional sanction. The Narasimha Rao government had made a similar move but it was struck down by the Supreme Court. But now the Constitution has been amended and the apex court will have to address the question whether it violates the basic structure of the Constitution.
Anyways the Supreme Court verdict capping reservations at 50 per cent was itself flawed. The court held that reservation was satisfying the doctrine of equality through a mechanism of bringing about equality among unequals and on the other it pitted it against the principle of equality. Now the Supreme Court will have to once again opine on the artificial ceiling it imposed on reservations.
While reservation has not addressed any historic wrong or the lack of representation, it may make the task of mobilisation of the poor from among upper castes in anti-reservation agitations difficult. There have been no shrill cries this time against violation of the so-called sacred principle of merit, which so often became a battle cry of the upper caste chauvinist elements backed by the ruling class parties, particularly RSS-BJP and the Congress.
While provision must be made for the economically weaker sections, the government’s move is not in that direction as amply demonstrated by the definition of economically weaker sections under the amendment. The yardstick to define economically weaker sections has been fixed at par with that for exclusion of OBCs from the cover of reservation. The very reasoning is flawed and will mean that the really economically weak sections will not be benefited.
This government move, which the Congress and many parties in the ruling combine have supported, is an admission of the failure of the present policy framework to address the cause of providing education and jobs to all. These parties have failed to make education, particularly good education, accessible to the children of the common people. The state of government schools is evidence of gross neglect of future generations by those in power.
Economic policies of the government have resulted in jobless growth and loss of jobs. The present system cannot provide jobs, good education or meet the basic needs of people and must be thrown out lock, stock and barrel.
This reservation is a gimmick with eyes on the coming elections. People should see through this attempt to divert attention from the government’s failures to address their issues and to fulfil election promises.
The writer is a columnist on socio-political issues. e-Mail: bhalachandra.odisha@gmail.com.
