Caste based reservation/classification – is it still relevant??

We in India have been following a caste based reservation system for the past 61 years. The question which arises now is:

• has it really been effective? If it has, does it still hold any relevance? If it hasn’t, what’s the point in continuing with it?

For centuries the so called lower castes in the Hindu community received ill treatment (to say the least) from the hands of the so called upper castes. When you couldn’t behave in a humane manner with a fellow human being how could you still be ‘upper’!!! When we became an independent country the gentlemen who framed the constitution brought in the concept of reservation so that it could benefit the people who were oppressed for centuries and bring about social equality. Now 61 years later I feel that the concept has lost its value and significance. It definitely helped a re-born India find its feet but the same has also been misused and abused which has resulted in creation of more castes and jatis and most them asking to be recognized as backward.

It is a really humorous situation now to see people of many castes and jatis resorting to protests to declare themselves backward or tribes just to benefit from reservation. It has also resulted in the creation of small groups with vested interests in supporting their own community across all states at the cost of endangering this species called Indian. The way our country is moving this species will become rare or extinct in 50-60 years time.

The time has come now to move from a caste based reservation system to an economic criteria based reservation system. How can we achieve equality when caste is everywhere, even on the forms you fill in!!!! In recent times, maybe with the exception of rural areas, there is no longer a domination of a particular caste over another caste. Its money and muscle power which determines who dominates whom!!. Also there is no clear trend that people belonging to a certain caste are totally downtrodden/poor. In every caste you find poor people. This is definitely the time to move away from caste based reservation to economic criteria based reservation system and this will also help us in slowly abusing the caste system to get things done.

All this requires a solid political will and also the willingness of the citizens of this country to accept such a change. I’m very sure the current crop of politicians will never make a step in that direction as it means that all these parties which thrive on this caste system won’t have a reason to exist. It is definetly going to take another social revolution to move away from the caste based system.......Should I even hope for such a change?????

BCCI – driven by greed

My first post in my first blog about cricket!!!!!!

The recent decisions by BCCI have shown that the men at the helm of affairs are driven more by greed for earning money than reason or passion for the game they are supposed to represent. True that BCCI is not a charity organization and needs to make money to sustain but where is the line between a real need for earning profit for the association and making profit for the individuals themselves.

When the ICL was floated as a concept I doubt if BCCI officials even gave a thought about what it was. They just understood that the concept could work well for them (the pitiful lot who run it) and the game and the players may well be damned. They could have discussed the plan with the promoters of ICL and then come to a workable solution. They could have stuck a partnership with the ICL and given them the charge of running the domestic league. BCCI could take care of all the international fixtures of the Indian team. This would have resulted in a more professional setup, better ground conditions and also better pay for those playing in the grassroots level but the BCCI chose to act in a very high handed egoistic manner.

What they have successfully done now is to just make more money from themselves and change cricket from a game to more of an entertainment show!!!! Ego and greed – the only thing which seems to motivate the people who run BCCI.

History has shown us that ego and greed doesn’t take anyone anywhere. It might seem successful initially but then its downfall all the way. When that happens I don’t expect any of the current lot of people who run the game to be around. They will make their money and run away. It will be left to whoever takes it up after the mayhem to go through a painful reconstruction process of Indian cricket or even world cricket!!!!!!

As a cricket fan I can just pray for the game!!!!