Beyond Reservations…

There has been a lot of debate on the recent reservation rule in India. Just couldn’t get the reservation debate out of my mind so thought would put my views in writing here. At least that way I can complete what I am trying to put across.

Fine, coming directly to the point. I agree that it is disgraceful that the condition of dalits, backward castes and other backward castes (OBCs) is so dismal after nearly 60 years of independence. But while I do want affirmative action I think reservation is the wrong way to do it. Only a thin creamy layer of dalits and tribals has benefited from them. They may aid the children of dalits like Paswan and tribals like Shibu Soren, but will do nothing for the millions without basic education or skills.

Caste prejudice is unquestionably a barrier to employment. But a bigger barrier by far is lack of education and skills. For centuries dalits and tribals are prevented from acquiring literacy or skills. Why isn’t government being pro-active at the grass root level? Only because that is the tough job, it is easier to pass an ordinance or make an amendment in the constitution and make reservations on the top surface. But how do these people reach the top surface without the basic education and skills? Because our hypocritical politicians have systematically neglected education and skill-building for oppressed castes.

I agree that upper caste children go to expensive private schools and get skilled. But government schools(set up by our own leaders for the oppressed people) are notorious for absentee teachers, for children who cannot write their own names after four years of schooling. Even the few who manage to enter college typically find that there is little teaching there either, that college degrees are often worthless.  When education provides no skills that will ensure good jobs in later life, poor dalit and tribal families often prefer to pull children out of school and set them to work. This is a vicious circle and the problem complex and the solution obviously not simple. 
Well, here is one way to do it. The central and state governments spend, very wastefully, around Rs 110,000 crore a year on education.  
 
Let one-tenth of that be channelled, in planned phases, through the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to create skills among dalits and tribals.  
 
Let these organisations open quality schools in every state capital to begin with, and eventually in every district headquarters. Let them also open polytechnics, vocational training institutes and quality colleges.  
 
These quality institutions must be good enough to attract the best students from all castes.  
 
They must not be schools reserved entirely for dalits and tribals: that will stigmatise them. A quarter to half the seats should be available, on payment of fees, to upper castes. Dalits and tribals should get free education, plus subsidies for hostel accommodation where required.  
 
While such schools will greatly increase opportunities, the bulk of dalits and tribals will remain in government schools. I would like to hope that success in my proposed system will catalyse change in government schools too, but I would not bet on it.  
 
How will CII and FICCI run schools? Possibly through the franchise scheme of Delhi Public School, which has set up a chain of quality schools on behalf of trusts and companies providing the wherewithal.  
 
Corporate members of the two organisations can provide a certain percentage of scholarships needed by the lower castes.  
 
I am sure CII and FICCI will happily take up such a challenge. 
Well, I found this quite feasible solution from an article from the Times of India that I read some time back and have taken the liberty of lifting a few statistics from there. 
I would love to know what your reactions are as this issue at hand is no longer confined to a select few. Its time we took a stance.
I have enjoyed every minute of writing this piece as it has made me ponder but logically and not emotionally. 
–Brijraj

Left Front or Left Behind?

Yesterday, as I was flipping channels, I chanced upon an exclusive interview on Headlines Today, the english affiliate of the popular newschannel Aaj Tak. The interview panel were the India Today Group’s Editor and Exec. Editor. In the hot seat was Sitaram Yechury, CPI MP and Politburo member.

Not an interesting recipe? Read on.

A number of issues were on discussion of course. What struck me the most at the outset was, for one, the immaculate way in which Yechury conducted himself - just the exact opposite of the archetypal notion of the politician that we all seem to take for granted and propagate without a second thought. Articulate, composed, and perfectly at ease in any one of 3 languages - quite a mix.

Quite a few issues under discussion, given that the Left is a key member of the current ruling alliance, the UPA, and more often than not at loggerheads with the ruling party, the Congress. What was different, however, was how sane the left’s views sound when they are actually expressed as articulate thoughts instead of insane, 70s era gramophone repetitions.

It had me wondering - here is a party that has never really been in power (except for the brief dilly-dallying with a third front in the 90s which itself wouldn’t have been possible without the express outside support of a major national party). Except in their traditional bastions of power, W Bengal and Kerala, the Left has never really come into its own as administrators, and has always been branded the fiery opposition and at times an exasparating bunch of down and outs out to flog a theory that has outlived its usefulness the world over including Russia, Eastern Europe and South America.

Not so - a few examples (and I paraphrase mostly here) :-

On Walmart and the entry of retail giants into India:

The feeling Yechury gave was that the Left is not per se and en bloc opposed to the entry of foreign investment into India, but the (very interesting) points he made were these:

i. The government shouldn’t go overboard in allowing foreign investment in areas that our people make their livelihoods in - you’re hitting at your own stomach that way

ii. Any foreign investment that comes into the country must satisfy a couple of criteria, which include genuine creation of employment (a point we will come to in item iii), betterment of life for the average worker and most importantly, accompanying technological progress that benefits the country (read industries and plants in the country, not just back office support)

iii. The employment that is generated by this foreign investment must be genuine, i.e, you don’t allow supermarket chains to set up shop and just take over businesses and show the (cut-down) workforce numbers as newly generated employment; which is also hitting at all your long established individual cultivators and vendors in the unorganised sector.
Something like Colombian oranges selling over your Nagpur variety because SuperXYZMart offers them for 20 p. less.

Another divisive issue - the vote over Iran at the UNSC.

Apparently the Left is trying to stress the fact that they are not following their policies with regard to this matter because of a pro- or anti- stance towards any given country, but rather with India’s best interests in mind (which of course is the proper thing to say, it being a televised interview). Whatever decision is taken must be in India’s interests - however, what it is that is in the country’s interests, nobody seems to be master of.

Those were but 2 instances from this (quite captivating) interview. Captivating because of the wide spectrum of difference there is in views between the traditional Left-aligned parties and the Government of the day on the one hand, and the ruling coalition and the (popularly called) Right-leaning section of the polity.

As I mentioned earlier, the Left has never really been in power on its own in the country. They’ve always either played the role of aggressive opposition, or done what they do best, support a government from the outside and threaten to pull the plug at any opportune moment. Might it be interesting to see what they would do if they were truly in power? This was put to Yechury too, albeit in a lighter vein -

H: So there is no question of drawing a “Laxman Rekha” for the UPA and the government in this Lok Sabha, and a third front / alternative emerging?

laughs …

Y: Definitely, in this Lok Sabha, the BJP and the Congress combined have over a majority, so a third-front is not a possible option. But I am not ruling out that we cannot have another Lok Sabha before 5 years are up …

H: Is that a threat?

Y: No, not a threat - but we are watching the government …

laughs …

Jokes aside, they are watching the government, from issues like Iran to FDI, Disinvestment to PPF and employees’ rights. Sometimes it is good for the boy-who-cries-wolf to actually be in the hot seat. In an interview, on the big stage. Are they the Left Front, as they like to call themselves, or are they just a bit Left Behind?

And more important than that is for everyone in the country, especially the youth, to take an interest in these affairs. Trust me, they make for riveting exercises in thought - and nothing is more crucial for the country’s future. Nothing.

Of course, I like to think of television, sound bites and interviews all as a mirror - it shows you everything as it is, really; only - it inverts it all.