A better way to deal with the call for more reservations is to settle on the economic criterion as the basis
Haryana is on the boil over the Jat agitation for reservations. The protest has had its echo in the national capital and also in the neighbouring States. More than 10 people have lost their lives and there has been a massive loss to public and private property. However, agitation for caste-based quotas is not new in India. Many will remember the 1990 Mandal agitation during the VP Singh regime.
Demands for reservation by various castes has been going on in several States. The Gujjars want a separate quota in Rajasthan, the Kapus in Andhra Pradesh, the Patels in Gujarat, the Marathas in Maharashtra, and so on. There are about 4,000 castes and over 25, 000 sub-castes in India. Reservation is the winning mantra for leaders to play vote-bank politics.
Tickets during the polls are given on the basis of caste. Poll calculations are done on the basis of caste. Quotas are announced only to appease a particular caste or a sub-caste. No party wants to annoy any caste group, howsoever small. While State Governments have tried to appease different castes, the Supreme Court struck down these and ruled that reservations cannot exceed 50 per cent.
So what triggered the present agitation in HaryanaIJ Apparently, it was BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini’s controversial statements that enraged the Jats. In Haryana they are the predominant caste with 27 per cent population who dominate one-third of the 90 seats in Haryana. Out of 10 Chief Ministers since its formation, seven of them have been Jats.
The Jats have been demanding quotas in Government jobs and educational institutions under the OBC category. The crisis was at its peak when former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda cleverly accepted the Jats’ demands months before the 2014 elections, knowing well that it is the successor Government which will have to bear the burden. Subsequently, the apex court struck down the 10 per cent quota announced by Mr Hooda. A decision is pending on the issue after the NDA Government filed an appeal.
The BJP came to power in Haryana for the first time in October 2014. The BJP’s first mistake was the choice of Mr Manohar lal Khattar, a Punjabi as the Chief Minister of Haryana. Second, while Mr Khattar is yet to settle down in his job, the Jat protest has shown his poor handling of the situation. Had he taken note of the signals, which emanated from the Jats, situation would not have gone out of control. Third, politics is also playing its role. Those who are opposed to Mr Khattar, both within the BJP as well as in the Opposition, want to use this opportunity to hit at the State Government.
Since Haryana surrounds the national’s capital Delhi on three sides, its echo was felt in Delhi immediately. Water supply was affected. This because the agitators blocked the water supply to Delhi from the Munak canal in Haryana. Even schools in the capital were shut down due to the water crisis.
The Haryana Government’s indications that it was willing to appease the agitators may not be the solution. Haryana is now talking of creating a special category reservation for the Jats. This too could be struck down by the Supreme Court.
First, there is truth in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat’s assertion that quota has been politicised and it is not being implemented in the spirit with which it was introduced. What is required is a broad quota policy.
Reservation becomes absurd when even the forward castes demand for it. The intention of the framers of the Constitution has not been achieved in the past seven decades as benefits have not percolated down as they are cornered by a few. The demand for gender reservation is also on the increase in Parliament and legislatures.
Second, it needs to be seen why demands for reservations is on the rise. AT the root of the problem is a lack of jobs and this needs to be addressed. The Jats too face the problem of getting jobs If quota is to be determined on basis of population of the backward communities then clearly, the extent of quotas have to be determined from time-to-time.
Third, shrillest voices come from the upper castes who seek reservation for the economically weak. Some argue that the quota is working in the opposite direction.
No one will grudge benefits given to poorer sections of the society. Therefore, the economic criterion should become the basis for extending reservations.