|
Blog Home
News Home
Write your Column at iVarta
India, Asia and Global
Breaking Stories, Latest News Headlines, Opinion, Analysis
Columns and Discussions Business, Social and Community Networking.
Comprehensive
Collection of India News, Articles, Columns, Analysis and Research Papers.
Facts about India, Indian History, Culture, Yoga, Meditation & Ayurveda and
more…
|
|
|
|
Jun-04-2008
Author's Home Page
Views expressed here are author"s own and not of this website. Full disclaimer is
at the bottom.
(Author is an independent researcher, and freelance contributor based in New Delhi, India)
 Feedback to author
The Gujjar demand for ST status threatens to take the tenuous lid off the Pandora"s Box of caste politics across the country. We should remember that the Gujjars were responsible for the wanton destruction of Rs. 1100 crores of property in a single day in the Delhi-NCR region in the month of September. Colonel Bainsla, the self styled Gujjar leader, had then escaped censure by putting in a meek apology for the actions of his followers in their quest for a more lucrative ST quota rather than the OBC quota they enjoy at present. Now, as a fresh wave of violence and destruction of public property becomes the means for the Gujjars to further their personal and political ambitions, the Indian media doggedly refuses to study the root cause behind this conflagration and instead indulges in fueling the fires of the phenomenon through irresponsible coverage of the event and a virtual absence of criticism of the ensuing mindless violence. It really is a sad commentary on the state of the Indian media that it is not able to unequivocally condemn the demonstrators who have been behaving like a horde of marauding hooligans and who are clearly visible in scene after scene on television triumphantly gloating over the destruction of crores of rupees worth of the public property.
Anti-reservationists had warned progressive intellectuals and the government of the dire consequences of pursuing the path of caste-based reservations in India but they were instead branded with hackneyed labels like "cynical alarmists" and "upper caste merit mongers." The government and the courts had been reminded that this was the apotheosis of votebank politics which could ricochet badly on its protagonists itself. Unfortunately, all those pleas fell on deaf ears.
Legally and constitutionally, the Gujjars don"t have much of a case. The constitution does recognize educational quotas but the onus of determining the beneficiaries rests solely on the government on criterion determined partially by the courts. Since, SC/ST castes have inflated to almost twice the number [56 in 1954 to 112 as of 2004] in a span of 50 years, it is obvious that successive governments have used the lure of quota to buttress their votebanks. There are numerous other castes across India which are demanding SC/ST quotas. Even the kayasthas who are one of the most socio-economically dominant castes had demanded reservation at a point of time. It is obvious that the government cannot accommodate all these communities in the ambit of reservation out of political, pragmatic and legal reasons. Further, even the fundamental basis for reservation gets undermined when reservation is extended to the undeserving castes [despite the fact that it is the rich, affluent, powerful and politically dominant castes like Meenas, Jats, Chamars and Yadavs who usurp the benefits of reservation] Now imagine the situation when these castes with aspirations for SC/ST status revolt against the union taking inspiration from the Gujjars in case the latter"s demands are conceded! The Gujjar sympathizers render a travesty of the law by claiming quota as their constitutional right, whereas even a cursory reading of law would instead reveal to them the criminal nature of their acts when they damage public property or attack police officials.
Unfortunately, even in this critical juncture, BJP baiters who abound in our media are reckless enough to saffronize the colours of violence. Consider Neena Vyas"s pathetic piece in the Hindu [31st May 2008 "BJP"s caste politics and the Gujjars"] where she blames the BJP for the Gujjar reaction. One may of course find fault with the handling of the ensuing situation by Raje. For one, her hysterical statements in the media did not do her cause much good. Secondly, her decision to transfer the police officials who put their lives in the line of fire, even when rightly pointed out the presence of dreaded criminals in the Gujjar ranks, betrayed an ambivalent attitude. In addition, the failure to take preventive action by arresting the ring leaders and chief instigators, as soon as the intention of the Gujjars to unleash another reign of violence and terror across Rajasthan and the neighbouring states became clear, shows a lack of foresight. Instead of anticipating the escalation of the issue, she was perhaps busy anticipating the winner of the IPL! But these failures in effectively containing the violence notwithstanding, to be fair the BJP cannot be blamed for the violence itself, the root cause of which is the virulent and obnoxious Gujjar politics being played in the state, with the disgruntled Congress leader , Sachin Pilot as its chief conspirator and Bainsla as the intermediary. Pilot has been inciting the Gujjars by using the standard Indian model of victimization - look for a grievance.show by some measure that the target group [in this case the Gujjars] has been left behind in comparison to others . Stroke the sense of being discriminated against [Being in an apparently less lucrative quota category than others]..Frighten the group into believing that others are out to take away even more of what is its right. and then present yourself as the only savior. Bainsla served as the willing intermediary, but has now emerged from the shadow of his mentor and looms ominously like a second Bhidranwale.
But coming back to Vyas"s accusations - the BJP did give OBC status to Jats but it did not introduce the draconian 93rd amendment act of Arjun Singh. The BJP election manifesto of Rajasthan does not record any advancement of ST status to the Gujjars. Also, the Gujjars have remained a monolithic congress votebank. This is evident from the fact that the congress has never lost an election from Dausa. When the Gujjars didn"t vote for the BJP how can it expect the same government to give in to their demands is beyond comprehension! Instead of adopting undemocratic and violent means, they should instead have concentrated upon rooting out the BJP government and replacing it with the Congress. But it is aware that it is only a minority in Rajasthan"s politics. Legal electoral methods would not work here
Should we not remind Neena Vyas that even if promises were made in certain rallies, the government is under no commitment to fulfill them? The BJP manifesto prior to 1998 spoke of the Universal Civil Code, the Ayodhya temple and the abrogation of article 370. It didn"t fulfill any of these promises after coming back to power citing lack of consensus in the NDA coalition. Now, if VHP and Bajrang Dal activists also behave in the same obnoxious manner as the Gujjars should the government concede to their demands?
Furthermore, Vyas is puzzled at why the Gujjars don"t avail of OBC reservation available to them instead of concentrating upon ST status. She should be aware that OBC educational reservations will not receive a blanket relaxation of cut-offs. It is well known that while OBC cutoff can be relaxed by only upto 10%; SC and ST cutoffs have been relaxed even upto 95% in the past. In other words, there is no maximal limit for relaxation of cut-offs in case of SC/ST reservations. Moreover, OBC reservations in government jobs are subject to creamy layer restrictions which don"t apply to SC/ST reservations.
Finally, the Rajasthan government is in an unenviable catch 22 situation, a fact consistent suppressed by the media. For if she gives in to the demands of the Gujjars, not only would she lose face but face the wrath of the powerful Meenas - not only politically but administratively. During the previous Gujjar agitation, they had threatened to terminate the agitating Gujjars if the latter"s demands for ST status were even considered. The horrors of such a caste conflict are unimaginable and it is unfortunate that the Gujjars remain blissfully unaware of such a scenario, for if the government cannot control the violence unleashed by them, it would fare only worse against the Meenas.
Secondly, there is the judicial catch since the HC order forbids the Rajasthan state from pushing centre on quota. [Times of India, May 30, 2008] The hands of the Raje government are tied, as of now! It is high time, the Gujjars take stock and allow reconciliation. Anti-democratic violent measures are not a solution and have to be renounced in order for all round progress to be made.
An amusing aftermath of the grim events - a Madhya Pradesh minister addressing a group of Brahmins asserts that let other groups beg for quota, the poor Brahmins will not. For they have survived for millennia on the alms given to them by these others. Currently, a hue and cry notice has been issued against him by local Congress and Gujjar leaders.
Feedback to author
References & Notes:
Author's Home Page
|
|
|
|
|