[Reader-list] When will Muslims join the mainstream?

Fri Oct 24 10:57:21 IST 2008

Pawan,

In your post to Shivam you said -

>>  I am just asking you to clarify whether your details about 5%  
>> reservation to Kashmiri pandits in Maharshtra
>> or any state is true.

Here are four references, with appropriate citations (below) on the  
subject of 'quotas' for admission of Kashmiri Pandit migrant  
candidates to educational institutions in different states  
(Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka).

I see nothing wrong with them, just as I see nothing wrong with  
affirmative action initiatives in educational institutions for dalit,  
tribal and OBC students. Whosoever suffers social disabilities should  
be entitled to affirmative action in a caring society. I have nothing  
against Kashmiri Pandit migrants being entitled to affirmative  
action, for the same reason that i have nothing against Bangladeshi  
Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist migrants to Delhi or any other part of  
India being entitled (as I hope they will be one day) to affirmative  
action.

Whosoever suffers due to migration, or social or political reasons,  
or whosoever's migration occurs because of suffering should be  
entitled to care and hospitality by the host society. I believe this  
to be perfectly reasonable and humane.

Coming to details, which you demand, you will notice that there is a  
specific mention of upto 5% (reservation) for Kashmiri Pandit  
students in non technical courses in Karnataka.

I do hope that now you will consider offering the list, and Shivam  
Vij an apology for suggesting that he has been biased against  
Kashmiri Pandits while bringing up the subject of 'reservations' and  
acted as a 'compulsive liar'. Clearly, as the sources below indicate,  
he has not acted as a compulsive liar.  In this case, it turns out  
that you have a bias against looking for available sources that go  
against your self imposed image of Kashmiri Pandits being the eternal  
and only victims in our midst. Their sufferings do not diminish  
simply because they are not the only ones to suffer. Please avoid  
making charges of this nature in the future. You do your community  
and its cause a great deal of disservice by these outbursts. Please  
check that you are not making a fool of yourself all over again  
before the next time you hit send after writing a post addressed to  
this listl. You do this way too often and I really feel bad for you.  
I would heartily recommend a degree of restraint to you.

I also hope that Aditya Raj Kaul, whose political agenda in Delhi  
University Student politics has featured a heavy accent against the  
issue of 'reservations' will consider carefully the fact that his  
argument against reservations can also extend to an argument against  
reservations for Kashmiri Pandit students.

Perhaps, for the sake of consistency, he could either think of making  
a case against reservations for Kashmiri pandit migrant students  
within appropriate forums, such as 'Roots in Kashmir', or on the  
other hand, turn his considerable activist experience in a generally  
'pro-reservation' direction, or at least refrain from commenting on  
the issue of reservations altogether. Either way, it is never too  
late to change one's mind.

Of course, he need not, because continued hypocrisy (which works well  
in tandem with a loqacious self promotional agenda) is a perfectly  
valid political option, especially given the currently prevailing  
political culture in our glorious republic.

Shuddha

---------------------------------

1. Reservation for Kashmiri Pandit Migrants in Maharashtra  
Educational Institutions

a) Extract from Report on Internal Displacement.org
<http://www.internal-displacement.org/idmc/website/countries.nsf/ 
(httpEnvelopes)/88FD05B74D23F8ED802570B8005A700A?OpenDocument>

"Maharashtra Government has made reservation of seats for children of  
citizens displaced from J&K due to terrorist violence and children of  
officers belonging to I.A.S., I.P.S. and other officers and staff  
belonging to military and paramilitary forces transferred to J&K to  
deal with terrorist activities in the State, in technical  
institutions in the filed [sic] of Engineering, Pharmacy,  
Architecture, etc., both at the degree and diploma levels. For this  
purpose, every diploma/degree level institution (whether Government  
aided or not) is permitted to create one extra seat for each course  
over and above the normal capacity of the institution and these seats  
cannot be allotted to students of any other category. However, no  
relaxation in eligibility conditions as prescribed by the concerned  
authority has been made. The domicile restriction has been removed  
for Kashmiri migrant students. Admission in general educational  
courses is also being provided subject to normal eligibility  
conditions being fulfilled."

b) Extract on reservations for Kashmiri Pandits in Maharashtra from  
story in Frontline <http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1923/stories/ 
20021122005301800.htm>

The Distress of the Displaced
by Naunidhi Kaur
in New Delhi
Frontline, Volume 19 - Issue 23, November 09 - 22 2002

"Now, the Kashmiri Pandit organisations have unabashedly hitched on  
to the Shiv Sena bandwagon. They remain grateful to Sena chief Bal  
Thackeray for helping the community out. While in power, the Shiv  
Sena had instituted quotas for Kashmiri Pandits in colleges in  
Maharashtra. Pandit organisations in Delhi are particularly sore  
about the Bharatiya Janata Party not doing anything to revive the  
registration process for migrant identity cards."

2.  Reservation for Kashmiri Pandit Migrants in Madhya Pradesh  
Educational Institutions

  Extract from Report on Madhya Pradesh on Internal Displacement.org
<http://www.internal-displacement.org/idmc/website/countries.nsf/ 
(httpEnvelopes)/88FD05B74D23F8ED802570B8005A700A?OpenDocument>

"One seat has been reserved for Kashmiri migrants in each technical  
institution viz. Engineering, Polytechnics and [Industrial Training  
Institutes]. For general education there is no restriction in the  
State."

3.  Reservation for Kashmiri Pandit Migrants in Karnataka Educational  
Institutions

Extract from Report in the Hindu, December 20, 2004
<http://www.hindu.com/2004/12/20/stories/2004122003900400.htm>

Quota for Kashmiri Pandits in professional colleges
The Hindu, Monday, December 20, 2004

  "BANGALORE, DEC. 19. One seat each in all technical and  
professional colleges in the State will be reserved for Kashmiri  
migrant students, the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, announced here  
on Sunday.

In non-technical programmes such as B.A./B.Com./B.Sc./BCA/Computer  
Science, up to five per cent of seats over and above the approved  
intake in colleges will be given to wards of Kashmiri migrants, Mr.  
Singh said.

He was speaking at the Global Meet on "Future of Kashmiri Pandits"  
organised by the All India Kashmiri Samaj, jointly with the Kashmiri  
Hindu Samithi, Karnataka.

The seats in colleges offered to Kashmiris that remain vacant will be  
filled by other candidates, he added. Mr. Singh said that the  
Government would give Rs. 25 lakhs towards the construction of  
Kashmir Bhavan in the city."

4. Reflections on Reservations for Kashmiri Pandits by a Kashmiri Pandit

Search Kashmir Blog
<http://searchkashmir.blogspot.com/2008/07/quota-and-kashmiri- 
pandits.html>

Quota and Kashmiri Pandits

"Why can’t we see things for what they are? We got quota in  
Maharashtra because it had a Hindu government and they tried to cash  
in on the Hindu vote by making it a ‘Hindi cause’. Its all politics,  
nothing more, we were exploited, made a pawn in the great game and  
nothing more.

They had no love lost for Kashmiri Pandits. Now we have Gujarat  
government giving quota. I hate Mr. Modi; he is the other side of the  
same communal coin. We were the poster boys of consequences of  
Islamic terror. In return, we got ‘freebies’ and we made the most of  
our situations. We don’t have to be apologetic about it. A lot of  
good did come out of these freebies. However, at the same time we  
don’t have to be thankful for it. They had their political goals and  
we had a life to look forward to. I did my B.E. due to quota in  
Maharashtra but I don’t care much about this fact because I know that  
the system abused me and in return, I abused it back. Quota in our  
case is nothing but abuse of system. Quality and ability are  
superseded by need and requirement. How long do we need it? Do we  
stop when we can afford 3-4 lakhs to get a seat? Do you think we  
would be able to stop? Won’t we think of that 3-4 lakhs as a saving  
and instead use it for some other so called ‘worthy cause’ like  
Weddings etc. How do you think KPs in Jammu could afford to build  
houses in Jammu? Should we be apologetic for that?

Well, I am not. I did what I had to do and I did it my way. If  
anything, I am concerned about the price we are paying for having a  
quota system in the first place. The quality always pays the price  
for quantity. I know I would have performed better had I known that  
there is no quota to get me through the day. But I am hopelessly  
optimistic that each would find his own way.

Quota isn’t a simple issue (nothing related to Kashmir is simple), I  
still remember a Young K.P guy who came to teach us chemistry in  
school during 12th. He was a bright fellow but I could see that he  
was dejected with life. He gave his 12th living in a camp. He himself  
told me once that he could not be a B.E. because during his time they  
did not have a quota system and the no. of seats were too few. So he  
did B.sc and took up teaching. Therefore, quota or rather the absence  
of quota had an immitigable effect on his life.

Bottom-line: Make the most of what life has to offer you. Quota does  
not necessary mean that you are bad but don’t let it ruin your real  
education. We can spend all our life getting educated. Don’t make  
yourself cannon fodder for greater political causes.