Emergence of the new minority – the Indian equality

P.S. – While this may hurt,baffle or possibly incite hordes of people, it isn’t meant to be so. It isn’t intended to be an inflammatory or a hate speech. Neither am I going to launch a political party – although I firmly believe, if that was the case, I would be able to garner votes of a few new-age minority Indians..

So why am I writing this in the first place?
For I know, if a reservation-less India were to begin to see daylight, it will definitely not be before I breathe my last.

So? If the world ever ponders as to why the brain-drain ever happened, one of the prime factors that rarely got attention would be this Indian equality.

Yes, in India it is fair to see the child who wins the running race not win the trophy while he watches another player snatch it from his hands. Why? Because that Winner was shy, because he needs to be encouraged, he needs the attention, the push, the support. Hear the words of one such unreserved Indian.

Developed countries like USA, UK, South Korea aren’t just the epitome of democracy rather they are exemplary specimen of meritocracy where there is one thing that reigns supreme at the end of the day – your merit, most times :p. I pity those shy (read “reserved”) people – for once the bubble of reservation breaks – the transition is going to be as daunting as it is for an alien on earth.I then begin to realize – how pointless it is to enter into the competition with a clear-cut psychological, social and administrative disadvantage! How worthless it is to compete with those who aren’t on a “level playing field”?  It feels like a game where the bold (read “unreserved”) are left handicapped, blown to the smithereens by the heavily equipped reserved!

In cricket and football, reserves are meant to be a group of players who serve as a backup to the playing 11. However in India reserves only have single definition – the oppressed,humiliated, offended class of citizens who now have received their “due”, their rightful status in the society.

In this era, where Prime Minister of a nation goes to New York, Sydney, Japan and other such developed countries – when he calls upon N.R.I.s to come back to their motherland and serve her – its essential to stem the growing number of men (tired and frustrated by red-tapeism, corruption, reservations, conflicts, lack of opportunities and low standards) from leaving the nation.

It feels as if the only minority that remains is the open category.

Admissions to nursery, school, high school, colleges, employment opportunities in government offices – well, the list is endless.

“Thee should suffer for thee deserve to beest punished “

Education and employment – the 2 most quintessential parts of everyone’s life! When you pour in caste, creed, religion in it – I wonder how bad the fire will burn!

If you see a boy from rural areas with no facility of education or external coaching, studying on his own and getting respectable marks and then taking the benefit of the reservation – you feel proud about the machinery and thank the Gods for the same. But the harsh reality is – we find countless individuals who come from the same economic background and  similar educational facilities in terms of school and coaching – getting lesser marks yet still end up taking the seat just because of that devilish cursed piece of paper!

Such instances make you wonder – the days of “Knowledge is power” are long-lost and replaced by what Cersei from Game of Thrones rightly says – “Power is power.”

Money, contacts, power – secrets to scale heights in this rotten, corrupt, inefficient system of ours! In schools, from day one, we are taught equality in all forms – gender , caste, creed, race and religion – that all men are created equal and stand equal in front of all Gods! I fail to understand where has this word perished – equality?

Or has reservation become a new dimension of equality?!

Is the so-called “upliftment of the oppressed” (and every wrong thing that’s carried out under this name) a new definition of equality for India?! Is this what United Nations Declaration of Human Rights talk about?! Malpractices have been carried out for years – Moguls tortured us, Britishers dehumanized us (if there ever was a term for treating a human as inhumanely as possible) – all Indians were left wrecked. But we missed the plot when we started focusing on what ought not be – a “collective”, “united”, “impartial” and peaceful march towards growth and development never happened. It was always about every sect, caste ,religion of the society glorifying their pains, sufferings enough to get them the reservations they badly wanted – to pacify and nurse their bruised and battered egos! The already lazy, laid back people got an impetus with this so called boon – “reservation”. The end result – stalled growth rate and overall lull thanks to the ever-so-alive wild-fire owing to the clash between the clans.

If the deserved get reserved, each Indian would be happy. Most importantly India would prosper.

Harsh reality is – hardly does that ever happen.Once a reserved class, you always be a reserved class. Bad habits seldom die, they say. Who will ever forsake the privilege?
These reservations were introduced in the constitution out of compassion and concern for the oppressed with a consensus that – after a stipulated time frame (which unfortunately remains a gray area) these will be gradually rolled back and removed.

Rollback? It threatens to spiral out of proportion. The demands of the Patel community is a testimony that once you distribute chocolates to a few people on the basis of everything sans merit, gradually every single breed will jump to demand their rights.

Laws are tweaked, modified, pushed in or pulled out by the ministers in the Parliament which does not come under the ambit of a common civilian. However, it’s high time that an honest analysis is done by everyone, by every single Indian.

Injustice breeds injustice. An act to benefit the needy has for years been reduced to an act to benefit the mighty. You don’t employ the same strategy if all you get out of it is hapless results and lackluster performance. Bottom-line is all that matters. Failure in execution = Total failure. An act gone wrong needs immediate attention.

It’s time to redefine the Indian equality. It’s time to redefine equal opportunity. It’s time to create a level playing field for all. Zero reservations which are based on caste and creed will actually lead to many new highs – an honest and fair competition – every single candidate will shed that sluggishness, laziness given by the “boon” of reservation. For the economically backward it does make sense to provide them incentive and backing to promote sense of well-being however that is subject to deliberation.

We all want to see a greater, grander and better India. India which sheds its past evils – biased laws, corrupt practices, ineffective verdicts, crony capitalism et al. India which embraces pure morals and ethics in all its spheres – honesty, equality, punctuality and humility.
Meritocracy and not just democracy is the need of the hour. The onus is on us, the Indians to uphold it or to continue to withhold the power that can galvanize India.

Towards an unreserved Bharat!