The reservation in the private sector is the talk of town. There are those who support and oppose it. The Maharashtra Govt. has passed a Bill paving the way for reservation in private sector for Dalits and Backwards which is being opposed by the Shiv Sena. As amended now the reservation will be applicable to only such business houses which are assisted by the govt.
ARYAN INVASION
The big question is why are Dalits feeling the need for reservation in private sector when they already have reservation in govt. jobs? In 1998, there were 481 judges in the High Courts of India out of which only 15 were of Dalits while there were 21 judges in Supreme Court and there was not a single Dalit ‘I judge. And in 1995, in Group A 1 Central Govt. services the Dalits’ participation was just 10%. Now that PSUs are being plundered, and privatisation is on a warpath where will Dalits go to earning their livelihood and respect?
After the Aryan invasion, they got involved in a fierce struggle with the natives who are Dalits of today. | The Aryan outsiders or invaders, ‘ finally won. They came to the | conclusion though that it would be difficult to establish their rule with ‘ the sword, so they conjured up the idea of reservations in religion, occupations and privileges for themselves. The miserable life of the indigenous people was attributed to sins of past lives, fate, curse and divine will. ‘
A strict Varnashram Dharma (caste system) was enforced to maintain the Brahminical Social Order. Upper. Castes say they don’t believe in caste but enforce caste order in a subtle way.
At any meeting place one’s name won’t be sufficient in introduction, conversationalists one way or the other try to get to know the caste. of each other, if not directly. And without it the profile or introduction remains incomplete which can’t be said of other religions.
With the help of reservation in govt. jobs and education, Dalits have come to participate in mainstream. There is no reservation in media, judiciary, export-import, business and high skilled: technical and professional jobs. Over 100 “celebrities” participated in Olympic Torch Relay in Delhi but not a single Dalit was part of it. Why? Why this prejudice?
POOR QUALITY BUSINESS
The people who speak-against reservation are generally Hindu nazis. In 1990, when V.P. Singh announced reservation for OBCs, BJP didn’t oppose it directly. Instead L.K. Advani took out the Rath Yatra. The success of the Kamandal was due to Mandal and BJP was able to. Achieve what it couldn’t for the last 30 years. It came into government.
The lack of intelligent leaders at Backwards was a big reason why they failed to see through this strategy.
Or why would Narendra Modi, Uma Bharati, Vinay Katiyar and Kalyan Singh should-work for BJP? The logic doing round these days against this move is that efficiency and meritocracy will be adversely affected. There is no reservation in the private sector unlike in America. Why the Indian economy hasn’t been able to challenge global companies and products? Tell me one Indian product which is a global brand?
BILL GATES PLEDGE
Indian industries. consider American businesses as their role model but they don’t want to know a thing or two about the compassionate work done by them towards the weaker sections. In* America on their own, without any legal necessity, provide Afro-Americans, Hispanics, Red Indians with employment keeping in mind their populations. In 2001, when Bill Gates came to India, he pledged Rs. 5,000 crores for computerisation.
When an American businessman has so much caring concern for a foreign country just imagine how much committed they must be to the welfare and needs of their fellow countrymen? In 1982, American media came to know that there were only 2% AfroAmericans in media. This stunned editors and owners of big newspapers, and they started making extra efforts to search for the Blacks. Finally, they trained them and employed them.
FORD FOUNDATION SUPPORT
‘One more survey was done after 7-8 years and within this short span, it came out that their participation has reached 8-9%. This is called patriotism.
Last year in Michigan University a White student, who had secured more marks than an Afro-American but who still failed to get admission in Law School, challenged the Affirmative Action and lost the case #n US Supreme Court of 5-4. It is to be noted that most of big business, educational institutions and philanthropic organisations like Ford Foundation came in support of the Black student and aired their views that under no circumstances ‘should the Affirmative Action be discontinued.
RESERVATION FOR BLACKS
Finally, the US Supreme Court gave a verdict in favour of reservation for Blacks. Indian – corporates benchmark their business strategies against American Business but they don’t want to emulate social obligations which they practice. In fact, they should take up this wonderful opportunity to set right the wrong which has been continuing for thousands of years.
Indian brands, products and services have never been able to match with the standard we generally see in America and Western Europe one of the reasons may be the exclusion of hard working, honest and Dalits from economic life of India.
IRICH DON’T PAY INCOME TAX
It shocks me that some corporate houses are opposing reservations saying that private enterprise is the result of their hard work and money. | want to ask the Indian software industry, which is flourishing, could it have done even 1% of it had there been no IITs and 1IMs around? Certainly, these were not the creation of richest people in India and surely, we know a thing or two about market failures, who pays them up in India unlike developed countries?
No rich or poor man lives in vacuum anywhere on earth. If Dalits are employed, they will be paid according to their contributions. It won’t be a free lunch. The revenue collection of Indian govt. is about’8.5 to 10% of total GDP. In developed countries it is about 25% and even in less developed economies it ranges from 16 to 20%. The source of govt. revenue is mostly income tax in foreign countries while in India most of it is excise and customs.
There are thousands of rich businessmen who have about 15-20 ACs in their homes but while filing income tax returns, they show their household expenses around Rs. 50 to 60 thousands.
Many do not deposit sales tax which is collected from the public and when sales tax officers come calling, they protest and cry foul that they are being harassed.
“MIDDLE CLASS” COMPLAINT
A-nation is the extended concept of a home. If a person in our home is depressed or not in the best of health, it affects the wellbeing of the entire family. Similarly, if Dalits don’t have proper education, decent places to live and prosperous means of earning livelihood, the country won’t be prosperous, happy and peaceful and in Indian context it is already true.
| hope the verdict of 14th Lok Sabha teaches them a lesson that how angry Dalits and minorities threw NDA out of power. BJP during its rule was concerned about only one section, upper caste rich, who wanted to get further rich. And it lost power. Let’s think about the weak too. The middle class always complains that there is too much of caste in Indian politics. When there is caste in society it will always affect politics.
Various Indian communities used to watch spectacle of one invasion after the another and doing nothing. It happened because only one caste (Kshatriyas) was expected to secure the borders and country at large. Other communities thought it was beyond their jurisdiction. This same caste system has prevented the growth of a sense of belonging for the country and feeling of responsibility and concern for one another. When the British tried to open the doors of public education for Dalits they met with immense resistance from upper castes. The foreigners could come and rule over the Indians, but Indians wouldn’t like to treat their fellow countrymen as humans.
MISCHIEF OF MNCs
If Indian industry opposes reservations, history will repeat. If by hook and crook FIIS, WB, MNCs and IMF are helped by various policies, subsidies of the government; Indian industrialists aren’t seen protesting it. In capital market there is shocking clout of Flls and this clout makes very volatile but not a single industrialist criticises it.
The real loss to Indian industry occurs when MNCs get favourable policies and when agreements are dictated by agencies like WB and IMF. Indian corporate houses should fight them instead of fighting against reservation for Dalits in private sector. If Dalits get the opportunity to get ahead in life, the nation as a whole will get ahead. it won’t be a benefit which will accrue to outsiders. They should help Dalits become entrepreneurs or at least they should buy raw materials, products and services from them so that caste-based occupation is done away with once and for all.
