If you observe an unreserved compartment in a train, you would get a fair idea of what reservation (in jobs and education) is like today. The Unreserved General Class (as it is referred to) is for the underprivileged or those unable to secure tickets in the sleeper class. Once in, they get to the same destination as those privileged occupying seats and berths in other compartments with confirmed tickets.
Equality lies in the opportunity to reach the destination, in making the journey with the others, albeit with much lesser comfort. But when more numbers of the underprivileged rush into the unreserved general class to make the journey, several are left out, deprived of the journey itself.
This is what is happening to castes and sub-castes over reservation in jobs and education. The concept of reservation -- initially aimed at ensuring equality and social justice in society -- today, ironically, threatens those very human rights. This makes it imperative to have a re-look at the reservation policy and equip the youth with higher skills and talents to prepare them for jobs in the private sector, especially in the face of privatisation where reservation has no scope.
The demand of Panchamasali subsect of the Lingayat community, which saw over five lakh people rallying in Bengaluru last week demanding to be considered for category 2A from their present 3B reservation category, has triggered concerns. Everyone wants a piece of the pie, and as more demand it, the share of each is likely to diminish. In Karnataka, there is a 50 per cent cap on reservations. There are concerns over increasing number of castes and communities demanding higher share of reservation demanding a higher category.
For reservation, castes have been divided into seven categories -- Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Category I, Category 2A, Category 2B, Category 3A, and Category 3B. Each category has a set of castes. There are a total of 154 castes under SC and ST, constituting 18 per cent. Under Category-I, there are 95 castes, and is considered on par with SC/STs. Most of them are nomads and Other Backward Castes. However, barely 23 castes out of 95 are availing reservation and a large number are yet to get the fruits of it.
Category 2B is for Muslims. Under 3A, there are three castes - Vokkaligas, Baligas and Bunts. They are agriculturists and considered Backward Category. Under 3B, there are Lingayats, Jains, Christians and other communities. Under Category 2A, which has 102 castes and 15 per cent reservation, only the creamy layer is availing of benefits. It is considered ‘more backward’. They comprise artisans who make pots, jewellery, utensils, wood works and more. Now, Panchamasalis, who are mainly agriculturists, want to be included in 2A, meant for artisans.
But, experts say, technically it is not possible to consider Panchamasalis’ demand. “This is purely politically motivated. They say many in their community are economically backward. But reservation is provided not to eradicate poverty but for social justice. The demand of Panchamasalis and other castes for reservation under higher categories is not correct,’’ says an expert, requesting anonymity.
THE IMPACT
After the Panchamasali demand, pontiffs and 90 lakh members of the Ganiga subsect of the same Lingayat community, have demanded ST and OBC status. Ganiga seer Kallinatha Mahaswamiji says, “Since ages, the people from our sect are oil-mongers or oil pressers. With the development of technology, the traditional way of extracting oil has vanished, pushing people of our sect to depend on odd-jobs, and are struggling to come into the mainstream. So, we are demanding the ST tag, where we will get more benefits.”
Madigas, Kabbaligas, Gangamathas and Kolis are also demanding the ST tag for higher benefits. Niranjan MA, a senior advocate in Madikeri, says the increased number of dominant communities in the state demanding reservation under 2A will affect the downtrodden in the backward communities. “The Centre thought it fit to include the economically backward sections among all castes under a new bracket as this would bring social justice. But the current situation where more dominant communities want to be clubbed with the backward section will affect the privileges of backward communities and most-deprived sections of society,” he says.
CS Dwarkanath, former commissioner, Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission, says, “Fifteen per cent of reservation is provided under Category 2A and there are over 102 communities who are divided into most backward, more backward and backward. Mostly powerful communities are getting the benefits of the reservation here, while 70 per cent of the communities on the list are not able to get their fair share over the last few decades.
Clubbing landowning community into it will further hamper their opportunities and the trend of anyone asking for any reservation is bad and is against the concept of reservation. A re-classification has to be done to allow castes within a category which did not get benefits to get their due. This means that a few castes within the category that enjoyed the benefits all these years will have to be taken out.’’ Experts say the only other way is to increase the reservation cap -- like in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. For that, Karnataka has to go through an amendment in the Ninth Schedule of the Indian Constitution passed in Parliament. For this, the government has to vacate the case pending before the Supreme Court. To do that, political will is needed. At present, though Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is keen, Union leaders are not agreeable to the demand.
DEVELOPING SKILLS, THE WAY FORWARD
Senior educationist Basavaraj Kumnoor feels that if the government provides basic facilities and skill development programmes to the youth, demand for reservation will diminish. “After 1991, the Indian economy led by reforms is moving towards liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation. There is a push for privatisation of government institutions too. Today, a number of IT-BT companies are run by the private sector. Here, the method of selection, administration and management of employees differs from the government sector. It will be the same even in privatised government institutions,” he says.
“Demanding reservation is politically oriented. Few leaders demand reservation for their political benefit, but they should stop giving false assurances. The government should not include any caste to the existing reservation. If it wants to provide reservation both for education and employment, it has to set up a committee to find out the criteria of reservation,” he says. Dr Sudhir Raj K, professor at Justice KS Hegde Institute of Management, Nitte, opines that there is a need to revisit the reservation system. “Reservation on the basis of just caste cannot solve the problem.
If reservation demands by various caste groups are not handled carefully, it may threaten governance in the state, and bring development programmes to a halt,” he says. “We need to change the mindset. Now we are witnessing increasing privatisation. That means we should stand on our merit. Reservation will take a back seat. We need to deliver and create value through our performance,” he adds. Dwarkanath points to over 97 per cent of jobs being in the private sector where there is no scope for reservation, while quota is applicable to only 3 per cent of jobs in the government sector. With increasing privatisation, the scope for reservation could shrink in future - which is why there is widespread resentment over privatisation.
Inputs from
Karthik KK/Mysuru; Mahesh Goudar/Vijayapura; Prajna GR/Madikeri; Ramkrishna Badseshi/Kalaburagi; Prakash Samaga, Udupi; Divya Cutinho/Dakshina Kannada