Lessons to be learned from Bangladesh students’ protest
Students in Bangladesh are protesting the government’s reservation policy against reserving 56% of government jobs for specific groups, including descendants of freedom fighters, women, and ethnic minorities. Students believe that such a high percentage of reserved seats undermines meritocracy and denies deserving candidates their rightful opportunities. Over two hundred students have lost their lives. The issue is gaining international attention, with intellectuals and students from other countries joining hands with Bangladeshi students in solidarity. Students across university campuses in India are holding marches in support of the protesting students.
Bangladesh is not far, and what happens there influences us too. The solidarity expressed by Indian students connects them with their own cause Bangladeshi students are protesting. The conditions are not very different in India, where reservation policies in the name of affirmative action have become a political tool to win elections and retain power. While reservations aim to uplift marginalized communities, excessive quotas frustrate those who feel excluded from opportunities. This has led to resentment among different population groups, which may erupt in India. Thus, it is time to learn lessons from Bangladesh and revisit the caste-based reservation policy that divides people.
India has seen a series of anti-reservation student protests in the past, notably in 1990 and 2006, against the Union Government’s decision to implement reservations for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in central and private institutes of higher education. The government proposed to reserve 27% of seats in premier educational institutions like All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and other central institutions for the OBCs to help them gain higher representation. This move led to massive protests, particularly from students and doctors belonging to the General Category, who claimed that the proposal was discriminatory, discarded meritocracy, and was driven by vote-bank politics.
Although these protests were suppressed, the resentments were not. They have been silently rising among common people, particularly students who feel discriminated against. Last year, thousands protested caste-based reservations and the controversial SC/ST Act in Madhya Pradesh. In Maharashtra, young doctors who had qualified for NEET PG 2019 protested when the state government introduced a new policy increasing reservations to 78% from 52% after including the SEBC and EWS quotas. The open-category candidates moved to the High Court, and the court scrapped the new reservation policy. There are many such instances across the country. These resentments are often projected as political, overlooking the historical nature and wider repercussions in the polity, society, and economy. People do believe in affirmative action and support reservation for those who are marginalized economically and socially. They contend that reservation should be based on economic conditions, not on birth or caste.
The government and political parties should understand that vote-based politics based on caste, creed, and community will not develop India, but rather divide society. The reservation policy was initially formulated for only 10 years. If it has failed in its purpose in the last 70 years, the policy must be revisited. Many believe that caste-based reservations should be replaced with economic criteria. Political parties lack the courage to implement any amendments to the constitutional laws regarding reservation because they fear losing elections. The government and political parties must learn a lesson from Bangladesh and address the silent resentments among the younger generation of upper-caste Hindus, particularly those who feel that their hard work is wasted by reservation.
The student protests in Bangladesh against the reservation system offer several valuable lessons for India. The Indian government and policymakers must consider reviewing existing reservation policies, balancing merit, ensuring transparent and inclusive policymaking, addressing the root causes of inequality, and promoting unity and social cohesion. The Government of India’s position not to comment on what it calls an ‘internal’ matter may be politically correct. Nevertheless, one should not close their eyes and ignore what is happening in their neighborhood. The foundations are not very different, and the fire is not far; it may reach and engulf us. As India continues to grapple with its own complex reservation policies, understanding the dynamics and outcomes of Bangladesh’s student protests can offer valuable insights.
The author is a Professor at Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi. The views expressed are personal. Email: pandeyanant@hotmail.com