Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Think again

While arguing for reservation as a means to achieving social justice, it should not be forgotten that such means also leads people to organise themselves on caste basis, making the caste system stronger. The 27 per cent proposal is a populist measure driven by political interests. It is disheartening to see thousands of students protesting and many resorting to hunger strikes in the sweltering heat. All they need to do is to go in similar numbers to the polling booth.

Anand Muralidharan,
San Diego, California

* * *

I would like to counter three issues raised by those favouring reservation. When concerns on merit are raised, they retort by questioning the extent of merit in management/NRI quota. Nowhere is 50 per cent of seats filled under management quota. Are they willing to forgo the benefits of reservation if the concept of management quota is abolished? The next argument is that a majority of IIT and IIM graduates leaves the country. What is the guarantee that the quota beneficiaries will not do the same? Finally, it is unfair to cite the southern States (Tamil Nadu in particular) as more willing to embrace the idea of quotas. There are thousands of victims of the 69 per cent reservation policy. And the case is still sub judice.

S. Muralidhar,
Chennai

* * *

It is absurd to argue that the so-called forward community suppressed the others for 3,000 years. Indian life before 1950 was tough and devoid of sophisticated materials and institutions. The rather forward community enjoyed only milk and cowdung.

R. Nagarajan,
Salem, T.N.

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