Friday, May 05, 2006

Fight Against Reservation - A loosing Battle

There was an article in yesterday's Economic Times, titled "India Inc must rethink HRD" by Mr. T T Ram Mohan, a professor from IIM Ahmedabad. In the article, the author has supported the recent call by the Prime Minister, urging private companies to introduce quota based recruitment policy.

I did not agree with the author in any count, and hence wrote a mail to the editor opposing the views of the author. I don’t know whether the mail would be published in the newspaper, so I’m publishing the mail I wrote to the Economic Times editor here.

Sir,

This mail is in response to the article titled “India Inc must rethink HRD” by T T Ram Mohan in “The Big Picture” section of your newspaper dated 4th May 2006. The author had made a few points to support implementation of quotas in private companies; I would like to counter those points.

The author argues that since companies go to colleges other than IIT’s and NIT’s they are lowering their standards. How could the author forget that the companies have the same selection procedure for all the applicants; irrespective of which college they come from. The companies look for the aptitude and profile match of the candidates and the requirements. A quota system would pressurize companies to fill in the required quota, even if the candidate is a misfit.

The author also forgets the fact that the IIMs are planning to introduce a separate cut off marks for the backward community, thereby providing them with a double bonanza. Firstly you need to score less in your graduation; next you need not perform well in the CAT, but can still get into the IIMs. What about those students who perform well in their graduation and CAT, but still get left out?

Once you find your way into the IIMs, IIT’s and other institutions, I am sure that the backward community will have a sizeable representation in the private sector, since most of the private companies recruit from these colleges. On top of the relaxation in cut off for qualifications and reserving of seats in colleges, if you still advocate for reservations in private companies, I would like to believe that you are turning a blind eye towards people who are from the general community.

The author also says that development programs are not an alternative for the improving the condition of the backward community. There are a large number of primary schools in the country, who are facing a shortage of good teachers; hence the students lack proper primary education. Would the author be kind enough in explaining as to how a person, who cannot speak proper English, be able to bring diversity in a company which in turn would help the company to perform better as claimed? Hence, the decision to provide development programs rather than provide reservations is the best the private companies can do for the welfare of the downtrodden.

Its been more than 25 years since reservations for the backward community has been started, and if reservation was the only solution, our country would have progressed leaps and bounds by now. Its time our people understand that reservations are nothing but a political gimmick to gather votes and divide people. Our student community is absolutely right in opposing this unjust rule. I would like to reiterate what the students are asking for – “There should be only one yardstick to distinguish students for admission, and that is MERIT.”

Would the author support a movement to have a equal representation of the backward community in the Indian Air Force, so that our Airforce can come out with better war strategies against the enemy? We can think of relaxation of rules here also - they need to clear fewer hurdles to prove their fitness test, they need to fly lesser number of hours for promotion? I know it sounds sarcastic, but asking for reservations is in the same line as the example that I have given.

Regards,
Arun R.

It really pains me to read in the newspapers and listen in the TV as to how people whom I thought were stalwarts in politics were supporting such cheap tactics for gathering votes. Personalities like Manmohan Singh, P Chindambaram,our very own president Abdul Kalam and professors from IIMs like the author, have voiced their support towards the implementation of such a policy.

Even though our students have voiced a strong opinion against the quota policy, I feel we are fighting a loosing battle, since the number of people in power who are supporting the implementation of quotas are huge. Mere agitations and letters will not deter the politicians from carrying out their plans.

Is it possible to file a PIL against a resolution passed by the parliament? If its possible, then that might be a possible solution. If that also fails, then the only solution in hand would be to leave the country and settle down where your merit and ability would bring in rich dividents.

14 Comments:

At May 05, 2006 4:57 PM, Blogger Nikunj M said...

i totally agree to the points raised by you. this all is a political gimmik and the main reason behind this is not the upliftment of the downtrodden but the OBC votes in the upcoming UP election. my friend, it is really not to improve the standard of the OBCs but to icrease the votes. if you want to read & write you can go to www.merinews.com. it has covered this issue well. you can also post this article on it.
keep blogging.

 
At May 05, 2006 5:02 PM, Blogger Gaurav said...

Gud yaar....ab aise logon ke baare mein kuchh kar nahin sakte.,.....shoot at sight order nikaal do.....

Sab politics ka khel hai....ye duniya mein logon ko power aur paisa chahiye....baaki sab isse vo uthha hi lenge :)

chal how r ya

 
At May 08, 2006 9:56 AM, Blogger GRAM said...

Its all for the votes... remember not many of the upper middle class/above and the educated so called urban people don't go to vote....
So, why bother about them?
If this was not the case by now there would have been protests from the various parties...
Its very much like many other issues like Cauvery/India Pak/Ayodhya....

 
At May 08, 2006 12:57 PM, Blogger Arun R said...

@ Nikunj:

Thanks for the link.. :)

@ Gaurav:

How I wish such an order were to be issued.

@ usk:

As u put it towards the end of ur comment..... Its just a hope!!! Lets wait and see what happens.

@ Gram:

True. The only way we can try to get to the bottom of this is by voting to the party who is agaist reservation.

 
At May 08, 2006 1:22 PM, Blogger GRAM said...

may i know which party is that...
i dare sy no party like that exists in india....
if they do then god bless the general category!!

 
At May 08, 2006 1:26 PM, Blogger Arun R said...

@ Gram:

If there are a sizeable of no ready to vote for a party that opposses reservation, then we will soon see such a party!!!

 
At May 11, 2006 11:08 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You may want to read this blog
http://www.theotherindia.org/economy/save-a-place-for-me.html

 
At May 11, 2006 11:09 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This blog details some more
http://totalindependence.blogspot.com/

 
At May 11, 2006 11:22 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would like to add few lines here fortunate that we had the similar discussion last night at my room. I was comparing the social work and normal guys who have their own parents. Kids who are dependent on the social workers they know very well that they can not become doctors and administrators only GOD has written what has to happen for all of us . I would say I have come in my PG level in reservation but I am successful, Arun it is not that all can not speak English. It is just life my mom and dad could not afford me studying in good private school me and my sis both studied in a common school till 10th my sis did her under graduation also there in a GOVT college . It is fate which takes u .
I also appose that there should not be reservation let hard work fetch but tell me frank how many could pay lacks and give KG education to their children . Because of this so many eligible candidates loose things where in they are fit totally. I would only add a line to this that we can debate on this but it is all situational and it is all direct and social factors which influences but what ever it may be , what almighty wants that happens.. If I have hurt ur feelings I am sorry ...there are student who came top level through their reservation and are holding good say . English is a foreign language it is to be learnt like any other language , practice makes all that possible today we give lot of importance to learn that but never ever bother to say a word in HINDI which is our national language fight for ur rights because hard work fetches things for u and destiny will take u . U be happy , smile every day that makes lot of difference . We are fortunate that we all have sophisticated things here...... Let us look at other side of the coin too, there are beautiful smiles working hard under the sun and that’s all I can say....

 
At May 11, 2006 11:29 AM, Blogger Arun R said...

@ lucifer, cxv and Mr/Ms Anonymous No 1:

Thanks for your views... and links... :)

 
At May 11, 2006 1:03 PM, Blogger Arun R said...

Dear Anonymous No-2,

I think you yourself have given the solution to the problem. Since you are saying that there are thousands of children who cannot even afford primary education, should the government provide scholarships and free primary education or should they give provide reservations in colleges and jobs?

If you ask me, then the government should be providing better education to the students than reservations. Reservations is the solution to people who want the best of comforts, but do not want to spend time and effort in getting it. It’s the alternative to hard work, not the solution for the upliftment of the downtrodden.

You said that hard work is enough for people to learn English and Hindi. What about the hard work of a student, who gets 85% in his CBSE 12th exam, gets a rank of 15,000 in the entrance test, but studies in a 2nd grade engineering college in a payment seat, while his classmate, who scored 75% in his CBSE exam, scored 25,000 in the entrance test, but still manages to study in a top government college and that too in a free seat!!!

I suppose you would call that fate!!! Well my friend, I am against this atrocity. I would term it as an atrocity, since it makes a mockery of the hard work, time and effort put in by the person who has scored 85% and secured a rank of 15,000.

Now let me ask you something. Suppose, one of the children who could not get proper primary education and is from a backward class, he avails the quota and gets a well paid job. Now he sends his children to the best of schools. Will you say that his children getting into colleges and jobs through reservation is justified???

My friend, there is no way that someone can justify reservation as the only solution to the upliftment of the poor.

Well, thanks for all your wishes. I wish you the same. You have not hurt my feelings, and I hope I have not hurt your feelings by my negative thoughts towards reservation.

Just like you said, we can debate endlessly on this issue.

 
At May 13, 2006 12:51 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

NO NOT AT ALL .. HAY I ENJOYED READING UR COMMENTS U HAVE A STRONG POINT I KNOW HOW PAINFUL IT IS WHEN WE EXPERIENCE ONLY WE GET TO KNOW THINGS . MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS U AND UR FAMILY

 
At May 15, 2006 3:25 PM, Blogger Arun R said...

@ Anonymous:

Thanks a lot.. Wishing the same for u

 
At August 25, 2006 7:56 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You are totally correct but don't you think that it is already too late to say all this. The quota bill has been passed, and in the coming years we can see more of its sort. We've gotta do something about this injustice in the name of social justice.

 

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