Time for a re-think on reservation.
The judgement of the Supreme Court on Jat reservation should make Indian politicians and social scientists to make a re-think on this issue (IE, 18/3). Almost all castes and groups in India want to be included in backward class and seek reservation. Our constitution makers wisely provided reservation only to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as they are the most poor and the backward people in the country, and that too for 10 years. It has been extended to almost 75 percent of the population in the last 65 years, and it has been cornered by the creamy layers in each caste. The Supreme Court has now asked the government and the people to think of 'new practices, methods and yardsticks' to determine backwardness, 'away from caste- centric definition of backwardness'. Economic criteria seems to be the most rational, right and simple way of doing it irrespective of caste and creed. The poor and the neglected should have the first right on the resources of the state.The government should constitute a committee consisting of experts in sociology, politics and economics to analyse the issue in the light of the observations made by the Supreme Court, and recommend some criteria for reservation.
