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Challenging Privilege: A Case For Private Sector Reservations Dear All , Jaibheem! Following is an interesting article on Private Sector Reservations by K S R Murthy in TOI dtd 08/10/2004. The link is http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/877208.cms Jayant Ramteke LEADER ARTICLE Challenging Privilege: A Case For Private Sector Reservations K S R MURTHY [ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 08, 2004 12:00:00 AM ] Dear Mr Bajaj, It was engaging to read your article 'Devoid of Merit' (Sep 21). I was moved to hear that your grandfather Jamnalalji in 1928 was a pioneer in helping Harijans enter the Lakshminarayan temple in Wardha. Hailing from such a family, you too would surely be well disposed towards the depressed classes. It is not a small achievement to employ 34 per cent of 3,800 employees from the SC, ST and other backward classes. In the government and public sector we have yet to see more than 15-20 per cent of SC/ST composition even after 56 years of Independence. Your suggestion that the profile of hundred top companies in our country should be studied is good. I would request you to initiate a study on behalf of FICCI or CII. You observed that "an individual selected on the basis of caste acts differently as compared to the one selected on the basis of merit. Such a person knows that his position is guaranteed for life". While pleading for reservation in private sector, we would not support the absorption of any inefficient person by you. But I do not think persons recruited on reservations will give an opportunity for indiscipline for inefficiency. They only need to be treated with sympathy and understanding, and trained for brief periods. You will not normally come across corruption among these officers. In the US there are a large number of blacks in American universities, government departments, private sector, journalism, TV and radio. Do you come across that kind of representation in India in spite of 56 years of reservations? Our universities are the biggest violators. You have observed that reservation has a lot to do with the decline in effectiveness of government. Effective reservation in government and public sector today is hardly 15 per cent, of which 10 per cent is in the category of attendants, drivers, watchmen, clerks, etc. Only 5 per cent are in the higher echelons of services like IAS and IPS. Can this percentage of reservation be responsible for the decline of effectiveness? In politics though 22 per cent of MLAs and MPs are from our lot, portfolios like home, finance, revenue, commercial taxes, excise, transport, irrigation and power are still the privilege of the upper castes. My fear is that when the states, the Central government and the PSUs in the country could not achieve even 22 per cent reservation in the last 56 years, how would affirmative action help? Reservations have not been implemented in the judiciary. Out of 485 high court judges in the country, only 21 judges belong to SC/ST communities. The Supreme Court does not have a single SC/ST judge. When former president K R Narayanan tried to suggest the elevation of one of these SC/ST high court judges to the apex court, there was a furore. Scientific establishments and defence services have also barred reservations in their departments. A detailed study of reservation implemented in the country needs to be carried out in all fairness. The bureaucracy is so hostile that it prescribes qualifications which are very high while preparing rules for recruitment. As a result, several reserved posts remain unfilled. When I was secretary in charge of the panchayati raj department in Andhra Pradesh, about 7,000 elementary schoolteachers' posts were kept vacant for more than two decades in tribal areas. These posts were reserved for STs. It was brought to my notice that matriculation was a necessary qualification for an ST to become an elementary schoolteacher. Several tribal leaders told me that if, instead of passing matriculation, study up to matriculation were made the rule, most of the posts would be filled. I obtained the orders of the chief minister, and all the posts were filled in quick time. I organised a month's training programme for these people and they became successful teachers. A small relaxation in qualification together with some training thereafter can make reservation policy a success. If you pose this solution to bureaucrats, none of them will support it. I entered the IAS in 1959 after studying in a Telugu medium school. I went on to become a secretary to government of India. How many SC/ST secretaries to government of India do we have every year? I cannot get a house on rent in Hyderabad if my caste is known. My children might be educated in best schools and occupy important positions but no upper caste Hindu offers his children in marriage. Atrocities continue to this day. The incident cited by you about a director of NITIE, Mumbai, who was sent to prison because of a complaint made by a Dalit is unfortunate. But do you know 90 per cent of the cases registered under the SC and ST Prevention of Atrocities Act are dropped in courts of law in the country due to inadequate investigation and pressure on witnesses? Even an opportunity for good education is hard to realise. But for Dr B R Ambedkar and his reservations I do not think even a few of us would have risen to occupy positions in government and politics. It is true that the government must improve the facilities in education, health and transport for these communities. We, under no circumstances, would plead for protection for ineffective and dishonest SCs/STs. But please appreciate that people from these communities are more committed to the development of the country. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |