The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Caste discrimination

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Friday, Jan 25, 2008
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Caste discrimination

The article “Discrimination for dummies: V. 2008” (Jan. 18) sets the tone for a much-needed debate. The gruesome attack on the Bhotmanges in Khairlanji, in which almost the entire family was eliminated, was at least discussed in the media. But it is painful that most of the media hardly bothered to report the judgment in the Thinniyam case. The court acquitted the caste Hindus who allegedly forced two Dalits to eat each other’s excreta in this village of Tamil Nadu for standing by another Dalit. The social exclusion Dalits suffer silently in hundreds of villages and cities across the country is a shame on our nation and demands corrective action.

S.V. Venugopalan,

Chennai

* * *

The article reveals the fallacy in the argument that upper caste people are discriminated against due to reservation in education and jobs for the depressed communities. In reality, the implementation of the reservation policy has worked to the advantage of the upper castes. The UPSC and other recruitment agencies have earmarked 50 per cent of the total appointments for them. Candidates belonging to the SCs, STs and OBCs are not considered under the general category even if they are within the merit range. This is a classic case of quota working “in the reverse,” with 20 per cent or so of the upper castes getting 50 per cent of the posts while the OBCs and Dalits who constitute 80 per cent of the population share the remaining 50 per cent.

K. Venkataraman,

Hyderabad

* * *

Caste, in the present context, has become a personal identity and a matter of right since it brings benefits. Applications to educational institutions and employment ask for the caste of the candidates. More and more groups are demanding inclusion in the list of castes that qualify for reservation. As a result, the practice we seek to eliminate is becoming entrenched in society. The need of the hour is modification of entitlements on the basis of economic and educational status.

T.R. Anandan,

Coimbatore

* * *

The article has indeed come out with a timely discussion on “reverse discrimination.” That the neo-elites of India are now asserting themselves is there for all to see. The media reaction to the anti-reservation agitation in AIIMS was a classic example. During the agitation, the medicos publicly swept the roads to drive home the point that they would be reduced to becoming sweepers if reservation was extended to OBCs in Central educational institutions. Could there be a worse insult to sweepers, without whom we will all have to live in filth?

But one thing the article has failed to identify is the new face of discrimination. Though the traditional exploiters continue to deny the oppressed sections their due, their immediate social oppressors are the “neo-upper castes.” The operational resistance to the upward movement of Dalits comes from this particular section. It is ironical because not long ago, the OBCs were riding a revolution against the traditional exploiters.

Caste-based reservation must be reviewed to include the prosperous among the OBCs and Dalits in the general category. Instead of following the caste-alone criterion, policy makers should consider caste and economic criteria to identify the beneficiaries of reservation. This will facilitate upward movement within the caste hierarchy.

Sibi Chakkravarthy,

Chennai

* * *

The reservation policy cannot wipe out caste discrimination. But it has surely helped in the progress of the depressed classes. At the same time, it is not fair to close the door on Brahmins in the name of reservation. The present generation among the forward castes, especially the meritorious among them, are victims of reverse discrimination for no fault of theirs. This calls for rectification at least in the case of admissions to professional colleges, if not government employment.

B. Balasubramanian,

Puducherry

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