Agitation. Protests. There is something quintessentially democratic about these two concepts. They signify the guarantee of Freedom of Speech and Expression, which the constitution of India provides.
Since the past 3 weeks however, this very freedom has been used to hold a country to ransom. Yes, I am talking about the ongoing agitation by a particular section of society. Squatting on the railway tracks, demanding reservation in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota. The regular threats of cutting supply lines to Delhi, railway losses and 'retaliation' should galvanize our leaders. Its not just about the crores of rupees being lost daily due to lost productivity, but something deeper.
Lets try to think aloud what went wrong.
Subsidies, reservations, duties etc these are what our governments use to garner votes. India has a long history of "quota" system. Be it people, companies or goods. Giving special privileges to a particular section is a temporary way of improvement. Time and again this has been proven right. A closed economy, with quotas for local companies, brought us to the brink of an economic disaster. But this preferential treatment is the only way to guarantee a large number of votes in a short time. So this becomes a high return political stunt.
In the current context, the UPA government is not able to enforce law and order solely because of the fear of loss of votes from a large community.
This psyche of ensuring quick electoral wins diverted government's priorities. What really should have happened is a massive investment in basic infrastructure. Well connected cities and villages with good education would have suppressed the need to provide reservation. A village with access to a good highway that leads to a city with good government schools. An efficient bus service to facilitate that. This should have really lifted the backward classes out of the ignorance they faced in the independent India.
Now the valid question what can be done to quell this agitation ? This incident is the second instance of what Gujjars started. Will there be more of them ?
There can be a start here. Education vouchers to the poor sections can be provided simultaneously starting up good governmental schools. The current agitation leaders should be convinced that in the long run these measures will be helpful for everybody. To handle the current situation there is no way but to cede to these demands. But the leaders should also take the reverse step, canceling quotas for the uplifted sections, which has not been done since the Mandal Commission report implementation in 1989. That means, well, its not working out.
2 comments:
well, dont u think government should not a pay a heed to what THOSE people say, it should give reservations and thereby stopping people of other communities to go for such protests in future...
i guess that should be done, OR, wont it be better if Jats were to be provided quotas for, lets say 10-15 years, and then, it would be uplifted.
OR, LAATHI CHARGE THEM, and tell them the fact that, Haryana has been ruled by people of their own community for decades, there is no valid reason as to why they should be have certain privileges.
i agree with u, quotas are here to exist, but tell me, what should be done IDEALLY now, provided that Existing quota regime cannot be done away with.
oops, in my second line, i forgot to add NOT, the actual line is
"say, it should not give reservations and thereby stopping"
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