Backward of the backward

Bangalore: Since 1947 the governments after governments have been trying to help the schedule casts and schedule tribes. It has never been a sincere effort and it has been done only to garner their votes, similarly the OBC and other minorities. All of them have become vote banks.

The constitution has been written with an idea to help them for 10 years or so with the fond hope that these suppressed and the downtrodden people will come up and stand to face the competition when merit alone becomes the criteria for selection in all walks of life.

Governments went on simply extending the benefits of reservation, ignoring the merit in every field. A time has come for the so-called 'forward-class of people,' who have suffered after the independence because of the reservation policy, to fight the menace of reservation.

Reservation has not helped many people and it will not help all of them even if it is extended for another century, for obvious reasons. It has created only 'a creamy layer' (a forward group within the backward) in that particular community. They continue to enjoy the benefits of reservation meant for the whole community and snatch away the chances of others in their own community. So the backward people of the backward class will remain backward, ensuring the reservations for the backward class and the demand for reservation, as the majority of the people in their community continue to remain backward.

The reservations and the continued backwardness of these hapless people in the community helps only the people in the creamy layer who have enjoyed the benefits of reservation since independence (for several generations) denying the chances of improvement for their own brethren remaining backward. The majority of S.C.& S.T. remain suppressed and oppressed by their own people.

There are many castes and sub castes in S.C., S.T. and many have been denied the benefits of reservation. Only some powerful groups are enjoying the benefits. Now these really backward people are demanding for a separate reservation within the reservations saying that the creamy layer of some sect/caste are the only ones enjoying all the benefits.

An example is Madigas. They have been neglected and their quota are being enjoyed by somebody and they continue to remain backward and neglected with no scope for improvement. They must fight to get what is due for them. Reservation within reservation has become a necessity.

The 'forward-class' of S.C.

People from the Schedule Castes have no sympathy for these backward people. The only remedy for this problem created by the 'creamy layer' within each community is to fix the number chances a family could enjoy so that the benefits will pass on to others who have not enjoyed in the same community. If that is done, one day, the last/lost man in that community will get the benefit of reservation.

If that is not possible in the present situation, the reservation benefits should go again to the families, which has not enjoyed the benefits even once. They should have preferences over others of the same community who have enjoyed the benefits and if there are any vacancies/any chances un-utilized by the community, others of the same community, even though they have enjoyed the benefits, may be allowed to enjoy the quota meant for their community in order of preference depending on the backwardness of the so called 'backward people.'

If this is done we may see a day when the aim of the constitution will be fulfilled and there will be no demand for reservation. At present the hue and cry for reservation is only from the people who have been enjoying the benefits of reservations ignoring the rights of their own brethren.

Several people in the same family have enjoyed several benefits for many generations since independence. They are no longer backward and they are now more 'forward' than many so- called 'forward people.'

The present political gimmicks of the central government for garnering votes must stop.

It will not help the really deserving people. It will only help the 'creamy layer.'