Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Quota for OBCs

The Supreme Court judgment upholding the law providing 27 per cent reservation for the Other Backward Classes in Central institutions such as the IITs and the IIMs is historic. It will create and expand opportunities for inclusive higher education.

OBC candidates have been unable to compete with the forward castes in gaining access to higher education. But for the judgment, they would have been denied entry into premier institutions forever. Inclusive higher education is important for inclusive growth.

K.K. Ammannaya,

Udupi

April 10, 2008 will go down as a historic day in the history of Indian democracy. I feel proud to be an Indian today. The backward sections stand vindicated. Their voice has been heard above the shouts and cries of many, including the partial visual media.

Mohammed Shamir,

Kozhikode

It would be more appropriate to call the backward communities the “held back communities” because they have been held back from progressing by the elite for ages. It is hoped that the verdict will replace the ‘survival of the fittest’ law with the law that is more apt for human civilisation — ‘survival of the weakest.’

Hemant Bhaskar Kamdi,

Coimbatore

The historic verdict is a shot in the arm for the UPA government. Higher education, which was hitherto inaccessible to the backward sections, is now within their reach. The exclusion of the creamy layer and the review of the OBC list every five years must be looked into to evolve a national consensus.

K. Ramachandran,

Madurai

It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court has held that caste can be the basis to determine educational and social backwardness. The judgment will perpetuate casteism in an already polarised society. After 60 years of independence, caste-based reservation has no scientific basis. Merit has been mercilessly sacrificed.

S.S. Kaddargi,

Gulbarga

Caste-based reservation will prove discriminatory and divisive in the long run. Parliament should enact a law that includes the educationally and economically, and consequently, socially backward sections of castes other than the OBC so that they too get a fair share in the 27 per cent reservation.

Jacob George,

Changanacherry

The reservation policy has denied a number of deserving students higher education in institutions of their choice. It is time political parties stopped using reservation as a poll plank to strengthen their vote banks. The government should draft a policy wherein the economically weaker sections stand to gain irrespective of caste.

V. Varun,

Madurai

It is difficult to comprehend why the younger generation among the forward castes should be punished for the “advantages” enjoyed by their forefathers. Aren’t they already bearing the brunt? It is time reservation was provided on the basis of economic backwardness.

S. Ramesh Krishnan,

Kottayam

If merit is a genetic accident, isn’t caste too? If one genetic accident cannot be recognised, how can the other be? It is quite a hopeless situation for the so-called forward castes.

Natraj Kumar,

Chennai

A good number of my young friends are reacting very strongly to the judgment. Sure, they have a point. We can understand the feelings of our highly meritorious young friends who have to step aside to promote less privileged brethren. But they should remember that they have a social obligation towards the less privileged, which calls for some sacrifice. Their sacrifice, through which we can hopefully evolve a casteless, religion-free, reservation-less society of equal opportunity, will be remembered forever.

K.J. Joy,

Doha

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