[Reader-list] plight of the muslim women and appeasement

[anupam chakravartty]

Dear Mr Malik,



Clarifications first:



The funds for the education and employment for the backward minorities would
be made available through GOI. Maulana Azad Trust’s corpus has been
increased to Rs 500 crores. (
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/education-jobs-plan-panel-focus-for-muslim-uplift/19044/0
)



To reason for reservation in any form, I would say that it is a policy of
involving more and more people in decision-making process so that a
composite form of governance can be created. If reservations mean benefits
it also means additional responsibility. Prosperity, which in this case, is
a derivative of the function of reservation, actually has an added baggage
of roles, especially in India. These roles are to be fulfilled by those who
avail what we call reservation as these roles traditionally were performed
by just one set of people who are endowed with economic power with and
therefore they were also expected to have a say in the functioning of the
government and taking large scale policy decision.



I might be contradicting myself, but the reservations are not just about
economic prosperity. It is a means of social empowerment too. Infact social
empowerment is the basis for the reservations in India. While economic
prosperity is a result of individual strengths, social prosperity and
recognition is a form of collective strength. It is not the case that social
prosperity could be gained only through economic gains, but vice versa – as
in you need an atmosphere without any discrimination than only you can work
better.



In case of Muslims, more than the economic disparity between the rich and
the poor, it is social relevance of the community that needs to be addressed
from within the community. Although reforms in Muslims have to intrinsic and
inclusive, it cannot be seen in the light of the reform movements in other
religions. Therefore, there is such an impetus on resolving the issues of
education and employment especially in case of the Muslim girls.



Like you have pointed out that extra Rs 300 given to the Muslim girls, I
take this opportunity to point towards 14 per cent reservation for Brahmins
and other upper castes (
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2514/stories/20080718251403300.htm) that
have been clearly called economically backward upper castes, even though the
most backward people would be tribals in Banswada district.



Thanks anupam


On 5/20/09, Rakesh Iyer <rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Dear Malik jee
>
> If you wish to say that benefits like reservation must be based on economic
> criteria, to quite a substantial extent (leaving aside SC and ST), I would
> agree, as it is not going to help if only the affluent among the upper
> castes, the backward castes or the Muslims or other minorities are getting
> admissions and posts based on reservations. It's the poor and the
> downtrodden among these communities which require reservation.
>
> However, when we do provide such reservation, then we have to ensure that
> these people have the capacity to get absorbed through such reservations,
> otherwise it's going to be of no use. For example, if the poor can't avail
> of education even upto 10th std, then what is the use of providing them
> reservation in IIT's and IIM's ? Therefore, it's time we debate upon the
> idea of reservation to bring about benefits to different communities. The
> same argument also extends for SC's and ST's.
>
> At the same time, one must not forget that one of the benefits of
> introducing reservation was to increase national unity, and whether one
> likes it or not, this is something which can't be debated. If there would
> have been no reservation for SC's and ST's too, these would also have felt
> useless and would have joined themselves to causes which indulge in violence
> (at least a part have done so through Naxalism), and I feel the Naxalite
> problem may have been greater, along with violence due to caste
> discrimination and casteism.
>
> I have no problems with reservation as a move, it's just that I accept your
> point that reservation for any caste or religion or community must be
> debated, and the previous effects of reservation must be studied while
> undertaking any new reservations to ensure that these actually turn
> effective. And if that means reservation for poor across all castes and
> communities has to be provided, so be it.
>
> Regards
>
> Rakesh
>