Can, those who clamour for eradication of castes, demand reservation based on castes ?
Based only on caste discrimination, most of the population has been made lowered backward, suppressed, and deprived of basic rights. The rule of the old kings also safeguarded the system of caste discrimination in the field of Education and provided the benefits of education only to the upper castes. It is because of this discrimination, most of the people were made to resort only to physical labour thus remaining illiterate and uneducated. This is the same as preventing small-pox by injecting the very same causative bacteria of the small-pox. The proper way to the effective dispensation of social justice as per the Constitutional provision is, to implement reservation. If caste has to be eradicated, the caste principle should be eradicated. If all the people get education and employment, equal to that of the upper caste persons, the base of the caste system will be demolished. Mandal in his report mentions that the backward classes should be made to become forward people by the very same caste system just as removing a thorn with another thorn.
Has any time- limit set for the Reservation ?
There is no any time limit set in the Indian Constitution for reservation in Education and Employment. As per the Indian Constitution, Article 334 a time-limit has been made only for the Election for the State Assemblies and the Parliament in the Reserved Constituencies. As within the time limit there was no any tangible progress, this has been renewed once in ten years each. There was a revision that this will continue upto 2020. Some have been writing and speaking about reservation, confusing between both these two different reservations viz., reservation in education and employment put together on the one hand and representation in legislatures on the other. Some are doing the mistake of confusing themselves even now.
Is it true that only a particular section in the Backward Classes is enjoying all the benefits of reservation ?
There cannot be a worse baseless or mischievous argument than this. As far as reservation is concerned, there was nothing in jobs and employment in the Central Government till 1993. The Reservation that started slowly in the Central Government in 1994. As far as the State Governments, in the Southern states for about 20, 30 years, there has been very little reservation. Only in a few Northern states, there has been Reservation for a few years. On what basis then, the upper castes have been saying that only a particular sect is dominating the benefits?
The Brahmins have been enjoying the benefits of education right from the Veda, Manu era. How is it then it is just to twist truth, keeping mum about the truth? Only those who do not bother about the practices of the Brahmins alone being entitled for all the benefits based on the shastras for generation after generation, have been aggrieved with the Reservation for two or three generations. It is very rare to see educated persons of three generations among the Scheduled or the Backward or the Scheduled tribes. What is the implication of a wolf concerned about a goat getting wet? Properly speaking this question should be raised from among the Backward sections. On the contrary, this issue is raised from among the high caste sections who oppose Reservation. Do you now discern the conspiracy and the wicked scheme behind this move? What else can it be except that it was intended to divide and set enmity among the beneficiaries of Reservation? This issue can arise only after so many years of reservation based on the Social Justice.
Promotion is part of employment. The Court Judgments also emphasize that “Appointment includes promotion also” Another reason for this is , there is reservation provided for promotion on the basis of roaster. It is only justice that those who were pining for justice for thousands of years getting promotion in short duration. It is not at all injustice. It is asked whether he who came earlier will be offended or not. For Gazetted posts and Selection Grades, candidates are selected based only on test of merit. Seniority is not considered. How is that those who were not offended by this are offended by the promotion on reservation for a few backward class persons?
Is it true that the standard and efficiency come down because of reservation ?
This is a fraud. It is the outcome of the Brahminical mischief. Reservation is not a demand to select those inefficient and unqualified persons just because they are the backward sections. Moreover for example those who apply for seats in the Technical institutions are those who are duly qualified through exams. Even if they belong to the Backward classes , they have to get a minimum of 60 per cent to apply. 60 per cent is First Class marks. Those who are selected are those who have secured more than 60 per cent. How is it that this is inefficiency? In the same way, do we demand the selection of the failed candidates for jobs? How then is the efficiency lost? All the Government administrators are selected based on merit and efficiency. In what aspect , have they been or are honest and efficient? Who are those who sold the Military secrets for Whiskey bottles and Harshad Mehtha who was corrupt to several thousand crores? Are they not those who obtained the Agmark certified high caste persons? If this is efficiency, naturally such efficiency may not be in the Backward Class persons. Mr Kamaraj emphatically asked : “Who died because a Scheduled Caste doctor injected? I made a Pariah an Engineer. He constructed bridges. Which bridge has come down? What is standard or efficiency? I know your efficiency and that of those who taught you.” Can anyone dispute this?
Is there a chance of to introduce the criteria followed in the calculating of the Backward classes where the creamy layer is introduced at present ?
This is a sign to recognize the conspiracy of the upper class sections that rings a warning bell to us regarding the issue of creamy layer. What guarantee is there that it will not be applied to the Scheduled Castes next ? The economic criterion was first tested with the Backward Classes. They may next victimise the Scheduled Castes. This is the reason for the neighbour to come forward to put down the fire in the next house. That is prudence. There is already a clamour to totally abolish the very Reservation. Should we not then discern what is cooking in secret ?
Why do the Forward Class persons say that there can be Reservations for the Scheduled Castes but not for the Backward Castes ?
This is not because of the interest in the Scheduled Caste people, but it is the same old trick of divide and rule. They oppose reservation as a whole. When some of them say like this is just based on the very same reason. They may even argue that economic and ameliorate help can be offered to them instead. For example, helping them through bank loans to buy rikshas, helping the cobblers to start bunks instead of sitting under the tree and pursuing the same profession and helping the dhobis to pursue their own caste profession. This is a skilful conspiracy to prevent the children of the backward classes from becoming I.A.S and I.P.S. officers. This is not understood by even among the present and prospective beneficiaries.
What is the difference between the approach of the Brahmins in the issue of the Archakas and in the issue of reservation?
In 1971, When Dr.Kalaignar Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, he brought in a legislation as per the wishes of Periyar that people belonging to all communities could become archakas after receiving required training. This changed the existing practice that only the Brahmins could touch the idols of gods and breaking the caste restrictions. Opposing this, Kanchi Sankarachariyar, Sriperumpudhur Jeeyar, and 12 Srirangam Brahmins filed a writ application in the Supreme Court. (On the recommendation of Rajagopalachariyar, Mr. Palkiwalah argued the case for them without any remuneration.) The undivided opinion of all the Brahmins in this issue is, archakas should not be appointed on qualification but only on caste. We can clearly surmise from this the basic poison of the Aryan myth. Their dharma is to support what promotes them but to change the very same stance upside down when it suits them. The Aryans are those who first introduced reservation that education is for the Brahmins, ruling for the Kshatriyas, trade for the Vysyas and slavery and menial jobs for the Shudras.
Can the Courts of Justice decide on the ceiling on the total reservation? Is there provision in the Constitution ?
No Court of Law including the Supreme Court has the right to do so, but the Courts do it. This is the right of the people’s Court namely the Assembly and the Parliament. There is no any section in the Constitution that reservation should be made up to a level. Mr. Jethmalani argued in the Mandal case that the Government had the right to allot 100 per cent reservation, it all depended on the people’s attitude. When the case of Vasanth Kumar came up in the Karnataka High Court , one of the judges Mr. Chinnappa Reddi made it clear that it was not the job of the Judges to decide on the percentage of reservation but it is the right of the people. He has emphatically mentioned, “The percentage of reservation is not a matter upon which a Court may pronounce with no material at hand. For a Court to say that reservations should not exceed 40 per cent, 50 per cent or 60 per cent would be arbitrary and the Constitution does not permit us (judges) to be arbitrary.”
Can the Government order the Private Sectors to provide Reservations?
Why not? ‘Private Sector’ does not mean the area where Government cannot interfere. The Private Sectors also should function under the laws of the Government. For example, can they function ignoring the Government rules in the labour welfare matters? Can they employ children because they are private? When does a Government issue permission to start an industry? Only after satisfying all the stipulations have been fulfilled. If they violate the rules, the permit will be cancelled. In the same way if the State and the Central Governments order that they also should follow the reservations based on Social Justice, they should follow. The Private Sector receives assistances from the Government like financial help, Police help, and the Traffic help. They get these facilities from the money of the tax payers. Therefore they have the moral obligation to obey the rules of the Government.
If the Reservation is implemented , will the problem of unemployment be solved ?
When we talk about ‘Unemployment’ in our country, the question, ‘for whom?’ is also raised along with it, because as far as the Brahmins are concerned, from the re-employment for the retired persons to the just born the chances are always ensured. Even today Reservations to the Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and the Scheduled Tribes are only on paper. The unemployment problem in the country can be solved if the Reservation of 23 per cent +27 per cent = 50 per cent in jobs is created for the unemployed greater majority who have long been in hunger . What can we do if this arrangement causes stomach upsetting, and create an alarm ?
Is the argument that it will be better if financial welfare schemes are offered to the Backward classes rather than reservations in education and employment?
Though they may rise up from the economic backwardness and become rich, can they participate in the power sharing process? It cannot. We can achieve it only through Reservation. Babu Jagjeevan Ram once remarked, “In Bihar a Yadhava farmer who owns ten cows may earn Rs. 10,000.per month. But a Sub Inspector of Police who earns just Rs.1000, can arrest the farmer and make him kneel before him. Is it not crucial to be noted in this matter, how power plays an important role . Only Reservations can make the son of a cobbler an I.P.S. Officer, and the son of a dhobi an I.A.S. Officer; not the mere economic status. A significant section in the judgment passed by the Judges of the Bench in the Mandal Commission Case is, “Poverty is not a necessary criterion of backwardness ; it is in fact irrelevant. The provision for reservation is really a programme of historical compensation; it is neither a measure of economic reform nor a poverty alleviation programme.
Is it a proper argument to say that when reservation is applied for women, the yardstick of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes should not be excluded?
Quite proper. Because, the philosophy of Social Justice must be in a society where there are discriminations of various types in practice as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward classes. The opportunities should be distributed justly in general. It will be proper if within the seats allotted 30 per cent of the reservation for women candidates from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Backward Classes should be selected and the rest of them can be allotted to others as per the rule. In the D.M.K.regime in 1989, this was clarified.
What is the impact reservation has made on the social scene in Tamil Nadu for being in force so long ?
Both education and employment have been the monopoly of the upper caste Brahmins before 60 or 70 years because of the ‘varnashrama dharma’ and caste discriminations. Now after the Reservation through the Communal G.O., crores of the suppressed people have been able to get the benefits for the education and get employment thereby earning their salary and developing self confidence. Till 1928, in the Government records of employment, they were mentioned as shudras. The technical education like Medicine, Engineering, Law and Agriculture was the total monopoly of Brahmins. If today the situation is different, it is mainly because of reservation. Is it not against the very self respect of a human being, if more than that, one human being is preferred to another, but that opportunity was denied to him based only on his birth? Many received the confidence that they are also capable of performing equal to any one in any responsibility through hard work. Reservation is mainly responsible for the metamorphosis. A silent revolution was created because of Reservation.
Is not the reservation implemented by ‘Manu Dharma’ the same as reservation based on castes?
What doubt can there be? That was the first reservation based on castes. Manu was the original and a guide to reservation. The Brahmins benefited with this at that time; therefore they insisted on its continuation. As the reservation is beneficial only to the Backward sections today, they blame it. The principle adopted by the Brahmins for ages and ages is to praise anything that is useful to them, or condemn anything if it is not useful for them. In the Mandal Commission Report, he refers to this quite elegantly, “In fact the Hindu society has always operated a rigorous scheme reservation through caste system. Ekalaiva lost his thumb and Shambuka his neck for their breach of caste rules of reservation. The present furore against reservations for OBCs is not aimed at the principles itself, but against the new class of beneficiaries as they are clamouring for a share of the opportunities which were all along monopolised by higher castes.”
