Burning Meritocracy - Can India Afford Quotas In Private Sectors?

Earlier this week, the Backward Classes Commission proposed to implement up to 27 percent reservation in the private sector. Some caste obsessed politicians rushed to support this proposal. In the name of social justice, these netas are, in fact, encouraging social injustice. It has been old gimmickry of them to divide the society along the caste lines in order to play vote banks politics. And, those who are born Dalit or within SCs/STs community are supporting or eager to support this proposal to get a job without much difficulty and that would be a privilege for them.

Undoubtedly, India's social structure has been highly stratified. And there might be a need for reservation for people belonging to backward castes during the making of the Indian constitution. But in today's India, there are laws which safeguard their interests.

During the formulation of the reservation policy, there were not many private companies. So, the policymakers had given reservation to backward castes in public sector employment. But, the present scenario is completely different. The economy of today's India is mainly driven by the taxes generated by goods and services of private companies. Most of the government companies run on subsidy. In other words, it is the private companies that are funding government companies. Also, there is a huge difference in attitude between private and public sector employees toward their job. One works hard from day to night while another cannot satisfy their greed for corruption. No need to categorically mention who is what. It is all because employment of private companies is focused on the "merit". The caste system has never been taken into account while hiring employees in private sectors.

If such absurd proposal is somehow approved, it will ignite a revolution in the whole country. It will also have a strong backlash against SCs/STs. Today, the admission procedure for students in many Indian Universities seems to be grossly unfair. It takes a lot to prepare for mere admission into top Indian institutes like IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, NLUs, etc. The students from general category who missed the opportunity to study in these institutes often feel cheated as they find themselves more qualified than SCs/STs. Giving reservation creates hatred against the Dalit community. The younger generation doesn't know about the atrocities the people from backward castes had to face earlier because of which reservation became a constitutional phenomenon.

Indians no longer prefer to be recognized by their castes, not even in rural India. But, if quotas in private sector get its approval, it will encourage further division within our society. Some argue that caste system is in the blood of India and we cannot get rid of it. But, I think, it cannot last longer–unless this practice is benefiting some groups. Until someone gets special treatment by deprivation of someone else's right, the battle will never end. And, I don't think we'll ever have an equal and just society if this practice is continued.