The issue of reservation SC and ST community in Government Jobs was initially introduced by the Congress Party in 1950's to eradicate poverty and inequality and as a policy matter it was to be reviewed after every ten years. This policy continued till 1990 without any problem and it was also not questioned by either politicians or intellectual class.All hues and cries about the reservation are related to the announcement made by Shri V.P. Singh to implement Mandal Commission recomendations on 8th August 1990.Agitations started all over the country.Very soon different social and political groups gathered and formed organisations to fight against injustice and what they called denial of equal right.In Delhi University ,too students started protests.
The foundation stone of the protest was led down at Kranti chwok in Delhi University and the author was elected as chief Coordinator of All India Anti Mandal Commission Forum.Protests continued all over the country and very soon AMCF became a flag bearer of anti reservationmovement all over India. Why am I narrating this development because it will unfold a very important fact. During the agitation I was invited by the then Congress President Shri Rajeev Gandhi to discuss certain issues related to reservation. During our meeting he tried to persuade me to introduce economic criteria of reservation. He was a great visionary who can foresee the future problems related with this issue. At that time I couldn't give him any assurance but promised to discuss the issue in the executive committee of AMCF which rejected this idea. Now what V.P. Singh had done was a political gimmick because he was facing a tough time due to agitation started by BJP. Mr Singh had played a political game to get support of OBC in case he was to face elections. And what Mr Rajeev Gandhi was thinking and pursuing was a Socio-Economic need of the country. Congress spokesman Shri Janardan Dwivedi has raised this issue once again. And surpringly the Congress Party itself has rejected this idea. It is here ,when politics comes to play its own game. Congress can't take this risk of annoying vast majority of OBC
who will play an important role in the Comming election.
The issue of reservation can be seen in the light of its Socio-Economic perspective. Do we need reservation? Answer can be yes. Why do we need reservation is the real issue. And there are divergent views on this matter. According to the supporters of anti reservation , benefits of the reservation are not going to the group for which it was directed. And, if it is given on caste basis then it creates a social problem and divisions in the country. They also offer a logic that reservation is a regressive step because it ignores talent and ability. On the other hand there are supporters of reservation who say that ills of inequality and problem of poverty can only be solved with the help of policy of reservation. They also advocate a theory that it is the society and caste system, which are responsible for backwardness of a section of society therefore solution can be found through such measures.
In my opinion introduction of economic criteria is a welcome step and politicians like Janardan Dwivedi should be supported on this issue. It will be a progressive step because in twenty first century there is no justification for caste based reservation.
Critics of anti reservation policy can argue that with the introduction of creamy layer in reservation , the benefits of reservation will be more wide spread and justifiable, however it can't be denied that reservation on the basis of caste should not be continued for a longer period.
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