So me and my friend were having an unintended debate on reservations on 14 April 2023, Friday 11pm, and she opposed reservations and I supported them, though both of us are from the same privilege bubble, who never came across caste based discrimination, at least once in life, so far.
She was arguing that poor upper castes are liable to suffer because of reservation, because reserved category candidates have an unfair advantage over other group of people, hence it is inequality and perpetuation of injustice.
I reasoned that Caste system in India and Caste based segregation and discrimination existed in the great Indian culture since the last 2000 years, since 2 BC. And for nearly 2000 years a section of people were robbed of everything they ever had, and I also suggested her to read this book called Coming out as Dalit by Yashica Dutt. So there was never a level playing field , the Upper castes were ahead of the Marginalized castes, by the amount of 2000 years,
And I also told my friend that if one should look into the justice aspect of reservations, reservations should be extended for more than 25 years because a section of the people were oppressed, for 2000 years, it makes sense for reservations to exist for 2000 years, to right the historical wrongs, to rebuild communities that were destroyed since the last 2000 years.
Source:- The Hindu
So reservations actually came out of the core constitutional values : Liberty, Fraternity and Equality, to deny reservations is to deny equality.
Then she replied which made sense to me “ Why you and I should suffer for the sins of our ancestors? What wrong did we do?’
My friend is in complete denial of caste based discrimination, she said its a matter of past but not of contemporary India, I couldn’t help but say to myself that “ Well if that’s the case why not marry someone outside your community ‘ , I think this is the litmus test for equality, but of course am not suggesting to merely get into wedlock, to prove a point!
For people who live in privilege bubbles and say caste discrimination doesn’t exist now. Please marry someone outside your caste and utter the same statement, then I will believe you, or else you’re the biggest hypocrite of the highest order, and the intent or motive for you opposing reservation is hatred for a particular community.
Also it feels stupid to me that, when people oppose reservations, instead of pressurizing the government to open more premiere institutions, so there will be enough seats for everyone,instead of doing this, the short sighted just rally behind removing reservations which makes zero sense to me.
Conclusion:-
