This refers to the editorial, “End violent Jat protests” (February 22). Affirmative action is imperative for the upliftment of the underprivileged and the backward class, but it should be premised on eliminating the sources of tangible disadvantage for the intended beneficiaries and not merely on political considerations. Sadly, caste-based reservations have become an easy route for politicians to ascend to power and for the beneficiaries to reach the top echelons by compromising on the merit of their counterparts belonging to the unreserved category.
It is high time the Government considered the quota edifice from an egalitarian point of view. It should provide for a level-playing field through better education and training, and a constant vigil that will ensure action against those that undermine the equality for all promised by the Constitution. The Government should not set a precedent for ‘disadvantaged’ groups in other parts of the country by succumbing to unreasonable demands for reservations.