Let’s Reverse Reservations

Another reminder of why India’s caste-based quotas are such a bad idea

The past week has seen the Gujjars of Rajasthan on the warpath again. This time they’re protesting an order of the Rajasthan High Court which rejected reservations granted to them by the former government headed by Vasundhara Raje Scindia. As they did the previous time, Gujjars have blocked Rajasthan’s railway tracks, arterial roads, and a national highway to bring attention to their demand for reservations.

Rajasthan’s Gujjars, a powerful community in the state, are certain the Ashok Gehlot government will give in, irrespective of the High Court’s ruling. Governments are formed on caste equations and use such appeasement exercises as a way to sustain caste divides. The Centre and Rajasthan government will probably find a way to keep restive Gujjars happy.

At a time when India is emerging as a major economic power, it is worth asking ourselves: should there be caste reservations at all? It is beyond reasonable doubt that caste reservations are of dubious benefit. The argument that some truly deserve it is lame, too. Despite quotas, India’s poor remain poor, while the creamy layer of every caste walks away with the gains.

The theoretical arguments around this issue are complex. It is argued that caste-based reservations enable upward mobility and offer dignity to the downtrodden. But how can their dignity be preserved when there are other meritorious candidates applying for the jobs they get?

Some years ago, when I was doing a story on malnutrition, I visited a hospital in a tribal area. The hospital was unclean, and the beds were unhygienic. When I asked why, the doctor in charge told me tribals feel uncomfortable in a clean environment. This doctor had risen to his post through caste-based quotas.