Badge of Honour - Reservation and the Caste System

 For decades there have been countless debates and arguments on whether the reservation system should still be continued or is it time to bring forth a major amendment to the whole concept. The arguments has ranged from abolishing the reservation system as a whole to making the reservation system based on the financial status instead of caste based. The unfortunate truth of the reservation system is that the same hasn't brought the change that it was supposed to bring to the society neither is there another method of reservation that seems to be a better alternative than the existing one. If there was one, the country would have adopted that scheme long ago.

The argument that vouches reservations based on financial status perhaps seems to overlook on the fact that there is indeed a reservation based on economical conditions such as EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) and especially with the introduction of differentiating between the creamy and non-creamy layers, the system is indeed focused on financial status as well. However, economic conditions of any individual can be over turned in one night. There are examples of corporate giants declaring bankruptcy over a fortnight and there are 'coolies' winning bumper lotteries. Hence, the fact that economical conditions should be a mandate for reservation is not the right tool for the up lifting of those who need it but only a relaxed scheme for those belonging in the general category. 

From the constitutional point of view, the concept of caste based reservation is not what is being given importance but class based reservation is. Reservations are to be granted based on economic conditions and the position of the individual in the society, . The benefit of the system was only to be given to those who belong to the class that is below to the other classes of individuals based on wealth and position in society along with other factors. Even though there are advocates for this system of reservation to be enacted in its most literal sense instead of the existing one, there are key elements that are missed when this subject is being considered. The reservation system today, though based on caste is subtly based on class as well. The communities that suffer atrocities and are discriminated on the grounds of race, sex, caste or religion are the ones who should be treated as the class that must be given the benefits of the reservation system and there is consensus on the same from all sides. However, when it comes to actual numbers, the matter of truth is that the ones belonging to the class that should get the benefits of reservation, are dominated in numbers by the those who belong to the "lower" castes and minorities. 

According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), every second person belonging to ST and every third person belonging SC remain poor. The multi dimensional poverty they belong to are not just on the basis of wealth, but on indicators such as nutrition, health, education, living standards and assets. Hence, the condition that reservation shall be based on class and not caste system, is actually being fulfilled even though the reservation system today is mainly focused on the caste of the individual. For ages the people belonging to the "lower" castes have been put behind in line and were forcefully pushed into a state of destitute and it is quite unfortunate that even today, they are still subjected to torture and atrocities of kinds. The numbers out there are indeed flabbergasting and hard to believe. 

A post against reservation on Instagram

 While there are those who preach that such atrocities and discrimination were a matter of the past, perhaps need to digest the fact that even in 2020, the reported crimes against SC/ST communities in India are 58,563 and has increased 9.4% percent from 2019. 3.7% of total murders and 17% of total rapes reported in the year 2020 are a result of caste based violence towards the SC/ST communities. The concept of untouchability, denying usage of public facilities, land disposal and forcing to leave place of residence seems unlikely to happen in today's day and age. Yet, there were more than 200 such reported incidences in the year 2020. Only 10-20% of the Dalits in India are literate and only 2-3% Dalit women come in that category. Manual Scavenging is prohibited by law in this great nation for years now, yet a city like Mumbai would fall in a fortnight if the Dalits who step into those man holes to clean human waste stop working all of a sudden. More than 600 sewer workers die every year and perhaps not surprising, but 98% of them are Dalits. The Supreme Court has completely banned the practice of manual scavenging and has asked the authorities to rehabilitate the workers and mechanize scavenging. Even then, urban cities today are at the mercy of these humans who have been risking their lives to clean our shit and yet, the crimes against them are nowhere on the decline nor there is any sort of incline in their living standards.

The numbers mentioned are only focused on the SC/ST communities of India and like every other report in this country, the actual numbers are always more than the reported numbers. If we are to include the OBCs and minorities in the list, the numbers shall be terrifying for some. The reservation system we have today is far from being perfect. There are absolute flaws in it and the benefit of such flaws are being taken over by many and one can only hope that there are alternatives to supersede such flaws in the future. But at the end of the day the truth needs to be understood that reservations weren't made for just the economical benefits of the people. They were made to ensure that every voice shall be heard. They were made to ensure that privilege shouldn't be the key to a better life. They were made to ensure that one man's badge of honour shouldn't be another man's exploitation.

Until a day comes where those staggering numbers diminish, the system shall never come to an end. So the question remains - against what should we raise our voice? The numbers or the system?

References :

1. National Crime Records Bureau _ Crime In India Statistics Vol.II
2. Borgen Project _ India's Caste System: Dalit, Poverty & Inequality
3. News Report _ The Print
4. ScoopWhoop Unscripted _ What I learnt from climbing into Human Waste

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