The book is published with a generous support of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian origin. The author, Prof. Jawahar Nesan, is the founder of the “Educated Chamber” situated at Sirkali in Tamil Nadu. He writes about the hierarchical social divisions within the Indian society and explains how the perpetrators of the system of castes have been successful in maintaining the status quo of the social code for centuries. And this was used as a strong weapon by the ruling castes for the purpose of maintaining their hegemony over the masses. (DV Sept. 1, 2005 p.6: “A new hope for oppressed Tamils”). In the modern age technological advances have replaced the unskilled labour with the machines, causing loss of income to those living on manual, labour. The lack of income and assets to attain basic necessities coupled with a sense of voicelessness and powerlessness, that the state and society has created, has resulted in a large section of the society being deprived from the benefits of higher standard of life comparable to the rest of society. The basic amenities, infrastructure, and health are denied to this vast section of the society. Unfortunately, this is happening with the help of the state. Therefore, the most important problem is not the removal of poverty but the removal of their powerlessness, backwardness and voicelessness. This they want without the mercy of upper castes. They do not want charity but want as their right. For want of political initiative, the state’s mission of poverty eradication has proved to be futile. While countries like China and Indonesia increased their export potential, India could achieve only marginal progress. Neither the future prospects or progress as projected by the experts show any ray of hope, at least within the next 25 years. And India is bound to get much deeper depression of its export share, with negative trends. Nesan claims that unless suitable measures, as described by him are taken and implemented by the state the future of the majority of Indians would be miserable. The book is about these measures and how to implement them.He says that the state should seriously evaluate and re-examine the measures taken in organized and unorganized sectors. Every enterprise should be brought under taxation. And the state must pay attention to the issues like labour welfare, labour security and security of their wages and also the social security, commenting that the present social security measures are quite inadequate. The managements of the bigger industry in the country, in his opinion, are opposed to these measures.
To promote the majority of disadvantaged people, the state should adopt a policy of “preferential participation”. They should include all sectors of industry, organized, unorganized and agriculture. Desperate measures are necessary because the traditional reservation policy has become ineffective because of rapid disinvestment of public sector and down-sizing of the govt sector. A preferential treatment for the discriminated masses is extremely essential so that they can overcome the prevailing social barriers. This has become more successful in countries like Malaysia to benefit the Malay people among the masses.
Civil war predicted: About 90% people are SC/ST and MBCs. Only the removal of plight of these people and their realistic economic progress will transfer the state into a global superpower in future. The state must concentrate solely on the under-privileged castes to eliminate the possibility of imminent civil war. Therefore, it is essential that all the SC/ST and MBCS and Muslims and Christians perforce will have to shed their differences and unite fighting for freedom. Then and then only India will progress.
The book is divided into three parts: the first part explains the socio-economic status of the SC/BC and Muslims etc. Part-Il explains the present method of reservations and examines the issue of a class versus caste analysis and comes to the conclusion that the present method of reservation policy for the SC/ST and OBCs and minorities will not succeed.
Racism as root cause: Part-III deals with the participation of SC/ST/MBCs and other deprived masses on the global perspective and deals with the subject of privatization and globalization and his suggestion are about legislation in the various fields, agriculture, organized sector and unorganized sector and outsourcing in the information technology.
A lot of statistics, charts and references from the national and international journals and documents give a very strong basis for the author’s observations and the conclusions. The comparison of the American problem of Blacks and Whites with the problem of marginalized people like SC/ST and the Hindus in India is beautifully explained.
American politicians believe that affirmative scheme has a purpose to eliminate social inequality by providing opportunities to the minorities of all sectors.
The idea that racism is the root cause of prevailing socio-economic inequality is widely accepted in America, whereas this has not been accepted as the purpose of reservations in India and majority of the well-placed Indians, are considering the reservations as the charity to the poor people. The denial of reservations to the SC/ST/OBCs is hampering the progress of the nation as a whole and not only of the marginalized people.
Recently, reservations for the “economically backward castes have been implemented in certain states like Rajasthan. This has made a mockery of reservations for the “low caste” people as majority of the poor in India are not the upper castes. The reservations to the “economically backward” students exclude the poor people from the Scheduled Castes, a provision which is detrimental to the interests of the nation.
Author, using exhaustive comparative analysis of the situation in the USA, India and Malaysia, based his thesis that only complete unity of SC/ST and OBCS will save the nation and not only the Dalit unity.
I wholeheartedly support and recommend this book not only to the Dalits and marginalized people but also to the members of affluent society and the rulers governing this country.
