The Hindu : Affirmative action

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 07, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Affirmative action

Sir, — This has reference to the article, Justifying affirmative action by Neera Chandhoke (June 4). The conditions of Dalits are still vulnerable and are a cause of concern for the entire society. Out of every hundred Dalits, only a handful get the privileges meant to be enjoyed by the entire community. The major factor responsible for the miserable position is undoubtedly discrimination by the society against them. Even today many of the upper caste Hindus consider it below their dignity to come in contact with the Dalits, let alone help them. Unless society changes its attitude towards the Dalits, there can be no possibility of relieving their pain and trauma.

Afshan Shireen,
Hyderabad

* * *

Sir, — Reservation is a poor substitute for social justice. But much of the opposition to such programmes like affirmative action is not justifiable. It rests upon a failure to perceive and appreciate some of the ways in which our society should think of itself, its past and its future.

It can be argued that such programmes, even when they include quotas, are defensible and right. But it is time we looked into the question whether the idea of protective discrimination could be justified from the point of normative political theory. Perhaps such an endeavour could lead to solving many of the confusions and complexities involved with the idea.

Prabhat Kumar,
New Delhi

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