It is “our moral obligation and constitutional responsibility” to promote the educational and economic interests of the poor, particularly of the weaker section of the people.
If weaker sections were to take their rightful place in society, the process of their social advancement had to be accelerated. But steps should be taken to ensure that merits do not suffer in the process and no section of the society is discriminated against.
While declaring that the policy of reservation for jobs and services, as guaranteed in the constitution, would continue “for as long as it is necessary” it needs to be ensured that genuine merit is not sacrificed at the altar or so called reservation. So far, it had been held that the reservation policy was not negotiable. If merit does not get a chance there is bound to be a brain-drain, which again will not be a congenial atmosphere for healthy growth of the society and the State as well. It was learnt that there were pressures from different vested interest on this issue of reservation. The purpose for which the policy of reservation was enforced had not been achieved. It would not be even in the 10 years if merit should suffer on account of the reservation policy.
Reservation (for the weaker section) is “an extra help”. It is not good thing by itself if we want to use it all our life. The Government is trying to be of help to them (weaker section). When our legs are not yet so strong, they are trying to help Reservation is like the crutch. It is not good to use a crutch all the time. The help was being given to those who were weak so that they could stand on their own feet. Some of those who were given help were worthy and some were less deserving. It does not mean they are all deserving, but they have to be helped in the struggle with the other stronger people in the society. But the way the reservation policy is implemented now it can be well-nigh termed as a one-eyed bull and in the process the meritorious boys/girls are deprived of the legitimate place in the society. It brings in its train not only the individual frustration or shattering a promising, but the society is also deprived of valuable contribution of a worthy citizen towards the common good and thereby the standard of civil service gradually deteriorates.
Despite the said general decline of efficiency of the State machinery, there is other aspect which is a direct off shoot of reservation policy. Since the reservation policy is made on tribe-basis, the vested interests amongst these tribes reap the full benefit of the policy. To cite on instance there is a section among these tribes, who are affluent, educated and well-placed. They control economic and political power. Naturally, their sons and daughters are sent to the best educational Institutions and therefore, qualitatively these boys and girls are such superior to their counterpart belonging to the economically weaker ones of the said backward tribes. It is thus not surprising that the full benefit of the reservation will be grabbed by those affluent classes and the under-privileged one will remain underprivileged and deprived forever. This is the reason why the intelligentsia among the backward tribes who are already advanced, are vocal about their reservation rights. The net result is emergence of a vested interest, a caloric of a ruling and exploiting class. The other Impact as said earlier is brain-drain and that will be a major problem again. Who suffers then? The person who is denied the chance does not. He goes out abroad/outside the State and gets a better job there. He gets a better pay and finally is better looked after. But we suffer and the State suffers. And then, in turn, we become dependent on people coming from abroad/outside the State to help us. We have to work out the reservation policy in such a manner that genuinely meritorious ones do not have the feeling that they are discriminated against. The privilege should be limited to those who are groaning under the economic bankruptcy and that vested interest wielding political and economic power do not monopolize the privilege for the personal gains and justice is not denied to the deserving ones and those pertaining to the economically weaker section of the society. In fact, today there is a deliberate political warfare against justice. A large number of appointments were made in the State to those who were active in politics. During the last few years, most of the officers and staff appointments were made on political consideration.
The whole system needs a fresh thinking and a thorough review. The present reservation policy needs a review to do away with the exploitation and discrimination. In a welfare State, exploitation in any shape should have no place. The State should look after the economically weaker section amongst the backward tribe-their rights and privileges, irrespective of their political and class affiliations from the exploiting classes. The reservation policy in its present shape is completely and absolutely incapable of serving these purposes. Let us cry halt to injustice and shape our policy in a right perspective so that merit does not suffer at the altar of discrimination, favoritism and nepotism and thereby the standard of the Civil service is better looked after, which will be a congenial atmosphere for healthy growth of the society and the State.
The Government has constituted a Committee to go into details of the whole issue of reservation policy. The issue is very sensitive which needs serious examination The whole system of reservation policy should be thoroughly scrutinized/reviewed in such away that even the case of less Advance Tribes (LAT) are also being taking care of. However, one should keep in mind that everything has its own limit. The policy of reservation should also have its own standard time to cease at certain point of time for those tribes who could come up to the level of other Advance Tribes.
T.S. Rengma Kohima Town
