[Reader-list] Content of reader-list Digest, Vol 34, Issue 38

[saraswati]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: anoop kumar <anoopkheri at gmail.com>
Date: May 20, 2006 2:45 AM
Subject: Starting our Agitation
   
  
With reference to the mail on pro-reservation agitations: sent by anoop kumar (Starting our Agitation - May 20 2006)

  Here is something I wish to share: 
   
  the first demand - 
   
  1. As we all are aware of the fact that
media, accademia and civil society always maintain conspiratory
silence on horrors of caste system and always try to hide caste based
discrimination and inequality in the name of merit. In fact they have
till now successfully denied us the space to speak, raise our concerns
since independence. 
   
  This is very much true, something which the mainstream media has not portrayed was the caste discrimination that goes on in the country, especially in the rural areas.
   
  Even the so-called, egalitarian Christian community (which normally converts people saying that they have no segregation) - the upper caste converts sit away from the lower caste converts inside a Church congregation. 
   
   
  Now they only, by default, have provided us an
opportunity to organise and fight caste based discrimination;
   
  This I fail to understand - why did those who were subjected to caste based discrimination 55 years after Indian Independence and being given a constitutional right, not take up this issue seriously during other times? 
   
   
  Why do they only rally and agitate when ever there is an issue concerning reservation policy? why not at other times. 
   
  I wish to give you an example, there many people from the SC/ ST/ BC communities, who are in big positions today - there are lawyers / doctors and judges etc...what have they done to their own communities? 
   
  The issue of the marine fisherfolk in AP...for example, the grassroot people are suffering due to the mechanised trawlers, and today many are facing displacement due to the declaration of Special Economic Zones. There are lawyers in Hyderabad courts who come from Fishing Community, why have they not taken up the case to fight for their communities? 
   
  There are numerous examples of the usurping of reservations by those belonging to the well-to-do in the underprivilaged castes, who after having benifited from the reservations in the first generation, do not allow the facility to be utilised by their own brethren who might need the reservations more than them. I know of people who come from the SC/ ST/BC communities, who are IAS, IPS officers, who still send their own children to the Medical and other Higher educational institutions using Reservations, which would have been more needed by persons coming from poor families. 
   
  The most important question is ? Have we been able to remove caste system by this method? Or, have we become pawns in the hands of the politicians who are using this to divide us? 
   
  Laws may give some sort of empowerment, but it is social change that can remove the differences between communities and people. And that social change happens through real education and awareness.
   
  Yes, our history books must be changed, yes, it is important for technical people to know politics, sociology, history and geography.
   
  Yes, there should be free and quality education until the 10+2 level for all students coming from poor families - cutting across the lines of caste and religion - there are many among muslims,  among the physically challenged and  other smaller communities too who need these facilities. Let those who are well-heeled in the society pay more for these services, so that a cross-subsidy happens. 
   
  And even the Higher education must be completely free for the students who are underprivilaged monetarily and physically. But let us not compromise on the output required at least in higher education. 
   
  It is true that marks do not certainly denote the quality of expertise of a person. Let there be some other kind of marking system in Universities. 
   
  But by saying students in Medical and Engineering colleges do not need a certain level of merit, simply because they are from underprivilaged societies, would mean to accept the theory, that "students coming from underprivilaged castes are not meritorious, they are incapable of competing in the mainstream" 
   
  If a doctor or engineer is not good, you know what people say, "he/ she must be a reservation candidate!'  
   
    Is this the tag that people wish to live with? That they are forever second rate professionals? 

   
  There have been and still are grave misdeeds done in the name of caste and in the name of religion and more importantly cutting across lines, in the name of gender - we cannot remove these differences by taking to streets...we can only remove them by real awareness and by acceptance of the TRUTH - by the upper castes, who have usurped people's rights all these days. And a coming together of the people. 
   
  If we say we can solve the problems of India-Pakistan by dialogue, then why is there no dialogue between the various communities in this land? Why are we all tearing each other apart? 
   
    Let us remember that our politicians have continued what the British started - Divide and Rule... and that is what is happening now. 

   
  Being a woman, i never asked for a special privilage, because I know men will say, oh you had those reservations etc, that is why you are able to stand with us on the same platform. 
   
  I did not wish to degrade myself - so, i had always stood in the main queues, never asked men to get up from a ladies seat, and always competed with them on their ground and have won and become successful in a male-dominated field. There are reservations and special privilages for women too. But while my cousins have never been allowed to even study upto the class 10 by my Uncle who himself was a school headmaster, my father worked hard to see that all his three daughters received the same level of education as his only son. 
   
  It was not because there were special reservations that encouraged him, it surely would have helped, but because he was a more aware person than his brother was, who despite being in the field of education, was according to me, unaware and hence, uneducated. 
   
  That is all I have to say. 
   
  Saraswati Kavula
   
  

 




		
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