Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Reservation debate

This refers to the article "Countering social discrimination" (June 2) which deals with the need to provide more opportunities to OBCs, SCs and STs. But it sadly neglects the poor among the forward castes who are the real losers of the reservation policy. Is there no need to take them into account at all?

We need to answer a question honestly: Do we want to phase out reservation or perpetuate it till such time as the poor among the forward castes become sufficiently marginalised and demand reservation for themselves?

Pavan Kumar Ippili,
Vasco-da-Gama, Goa

* * *

Does social justice mean denying meritorious students seats in prestigious institutions? The argument that the under-privileged have remained thus for hundreds of years and hence they need quotas is unacceptable. How is the present generation of forward caste students to blame for the past? Pro-quota activists should demand special facilities to bring them on a par with the general category in competitive exams.

R.K. Srivastava,
Allahabad, U.P.

* * *

Now that the quota issue has been settled with the Government deciding to go ahead with its proposal, what is the implication for the so-called forward castes, whose status is a mere illusion created by wealthy OBCs to eliminate competition? Reservation for the OBCs is not the same as reservation for the SCs and the STs. It will lead to the total elimination of forward castes from all walks of life. Tamil Nadu is a case in point.

The bogey of forward caste domination is raised to distract attention from the really deserving. What better way to do this than repeat that the OBCs have been suppressed for generations?

Eliza Srikrishnan,
Kochi, Kerala

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