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Reservation issue

By B.G. Deshmukh

A controversy has arisen over the move announced by the Congress in Rajasthan that it would like to have reservation in public employment for the economically backward sections among the advanced castes. This clever move has rightly been commented upon as a shrewd political move to influence an importance constituency of the BJP in the coming Assembly elections. Other political parties have also started fishing in these waters as is seen from the announcements by the NCP and others.

There is a long history to this issue. The Constitution mentions under Article 340 (1) read with Article 15(4) and 16(4) that special care be taken of "socially and educationally backward classes". The Karpoori Thakur Government in Bihar way back in 1977-78 announced reservation on the basis of economic backwardness which created a whirlwind in which about 120 people died. The Mandal Commission was set up specifically to study this issue and make recommendations. However, the very subject on which it was expected to deliberate and recommend was such that certain assumptions had to be made and then proceed on whatever data was available. B.P. Mandal relied on the 1971 census data and almost exclusively relied and based his findings on the caste basis for backwardness. And this is how certain castes were identified for reservation. Economic backwardness was given up in this process as also those religions which had no caste system.

Even then when the report was being discussed in the V.P. Singh Cabinet there were some Ministers who unsuccessfully argued that "economic backwardness should also be given recognition". Even the Leftist parties supporting the V.P. Singh Government from outside suggested that economic criteria for backwardness should be emphasised and at least some reservation made based on that. The BJP also was lukewarm in its support as its solid constituency, the urban middle class, felt threatened by the Commission's recommendations.

I remember that during the parliamentary debate in 1990 on the Mandal Commission's recommendations Rajiv Gandhi was advocating reservation on an economic basis. But even he could not push it through, when he was told that his own party's Law Minister had advised the Mandal Commission against injecting any economic criteria for reservation.

It stands to reason that economic backwardness should be recognised for reservation purposes in public services. But then it will also have to be kept in mind that: 1. This will have to be given Constitutional recognition.

2. As the total reservation cannot exceed 50 per cent of the total number of posts, this new reservation may have to be given effect wherever necessary by reducing reservation already given to the OBCs.

This is sure to lead to anger, if not violence, among the OBCs against the forward castes. 3. It is wrong to suggest that reservation on the basis of economic backwardness should be given only to the forward castes. The correct thing should be that such reservation should be given across the board to all classes and communities in all religions and faiths.

More than that if the reservation is now being advocated purely for political purposes and especially for winning elections, let the Congress and other parties remember what happened to the V.P. Singh Government. While writing on the subject of the Mandal Commission's recommendations in August 1998, I observed that "one only hopes that India's politicians would learn a lesson how not to misuse and exploit noble causes for political ends".

Had V.P. Singh not created the whirlwind through the Mandal Commission's recommendations, he could have called for mid-term elections in September 1990 and could have come back with a thumping majority against both the BJP campaigning the Ayodhya cause and the Congress which was the main Opposition party.

The electorate is far more alert and aware now and cannot be taken for a ride by such gimmicks. If the economically backward deserve a concession, let it be given to them on merit, as Rajiv Gandhi argued in 1990, and not for creating a vote bank of theirs.

(The writer is a former Cabinet Secretary.)

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