In the end, there's a sense in which reservations are really about attitudes. Here are just three quick examples to give you an idea of what I mean when I say "attitudes."
Mail sent to us over at How the Other Half Lives a few days ago reads thus:
You Lowly BASTARDS!!! You ought to still work as manual scavengers. It will happen. Either you let yourselves grow with sheer determination or fall back on scavenging. Dont beg for reservations!!!
Young man I know has written a piece protesting reservations which he titles Dalits Are Like Pakistanis.
Don't miss the assumption that the word "Pakistani" is a grave insult.
Medical students are protesting loudly against proposed reservations, and have been treated brutally by the police in Bombay and New Delhi. I understand their anguish. But if it matters, some of them lost me when they decided to sweep the roads in Delhi. (Also see here).
What were they thinking?
16 comments:
Yup! I was wondering what they meant when they swept the roads. If they're trying to show people that this is what they- that is, the medical students- might have to do if the reservations are implemented, and shame on the government for implementing this when it means they will have to do something as "lowly" as sweeping, then they're pathetic.
Unfortunately, I have a suspicion that is what they meant. Either that or mugging for medical entrance exams has scarred them forever.
And Vulturo? Vulturo's a dolt of the highest order. If we ever had a Institute of Doltgiri, he would get in even with 99% reservations.
By the way, if you haven't, read this.
http://www.vulturo.com/2006/05/why-it-was-okay-to-rape-indira-ishwarlal-thakur/#comments
Google for Dalitstan website and you'll see that Pakistan is indeed land of pure
Wait a minute. I'm being directed to find hatred and stupidity on the Web, and via Google? Am I on Candid Camera? Does the sun rise in the east?
Thank you, but even in my spare time, I have things I'd rather do.
Amar Akbar Anthony
That one cracked me up!
No, you are merely a candid lier. Or rather you are wearing a special pair of glasses which lets you see only the stuff you want to see.
Expect a post soon on our blog.
Dilip: I guess some of the comments (as well as the stuff you linked to) are comment enough! but yes, some of this whole thing is really about attitudes of hierarchy and superiority. As for those medical students, the article also mentioned that the Safai Karmachari Union is planning/has undertaken a protest march against this insult - more power to them. You would think future doctors would be a bit more sensitive in how they protest something.
I just want to add that some of us who are neither pro nor anti reservations as a principle, who definitely believe that there should be greater representation of traditionally dominated/oppressed clases (and I include women in this) in higher education and jobs but are not convinced that reservations is the best tool to effect this representation - we feel that this whole thing has degenerated into a "are you for us or against us" kind of stand. In this respect, i really appreciated Prof. Abi's sane and balanced take on the costs and benefits of reservations on the Other India Blog.
n!
@Neela:
You would think future doctors would be a bit more sensitive in how they protest something.
Here is a video of how sensitive the pro-reservation camps were:
Pro and Anti Reservation groups clash
i really appreciated Prof. Abi's sane and balanced take on the costs and benefits of reservations on the Other India Blog.
Abi's sane and balanced take? Posts like this? Quota Math
@Dilip:
Here is a revealing article by India's "Best" columnist:
Are Brahmins still our shatrus?
Dalits Are Like Pakistanis.
Don't miss the assumption that the word "Pakistani" is a grave insult.
Do you know that among Pakistanis calling somebody a Hindu or a woman are insults.
What about London where the word Paki is used as an insulting term
Neela, you said it: some of the comments are comment enough.
>>Thank you, but even in my spare time, I have things I'd rather do.
Sigh..so many signs to jot down and menus to zerox. Give Dilip a break bhai.
Dilip: There's some data from the NSSO that Karan Thapar is quoting (and that is being widely quoted) on the representation of obcs in that they constitute according to the NSSO 23.5 percent of the population (1999 round of NSSO) and represent 16 per cent of seats in universities, therefore they are well represented.
I went to the NSSO site but oculd not obtain the relevant data and google searches didn't do much. Would you have access to the data or know from where mr. Thapar suddenly obtained these data?
Thanks!
Neela
Am I on Candid Camera?
That gave a nice kick :D
Barbarindian: Sorry for the late reply.
I was specifically referring to what I read about the medicos sweeping the streets as protest. Regardless of other pro and anti reservation clashes or behavior or the two groups, I think this particular protest was needless and offensive to people who make their living by sweeping streets. Sweeping streets is just another job and while it may not pay much as jobs go, its not better or worse than medicine in any moral sense. Its an honest living and future medicos should be a bit more sensitive than demeaning someone else's job. i can understand if they said, we'll be forced to become thieves or some such - but sweepers???
And again on prof. Abi's take, I may not agree with all of what he said, but I do respect that he identified both the arguments for as well as arguments against reservation. This is the "sane and balanced" take I was referring to.
Thank you
Neela
How illogical can you be, Dilip. You just dont understand things, dont you ??
///Sweeping streets is just another job and while it may not pay much as jobs go, its not better or worse than medicine in any moral sense. Its an honest living and future medicos should be a bit more sensitive than demeaning someone else's job. i can understand if they said, we'll be forced to become thieves or some such - but sweepers???///
Well. they could have also performed professions like chanting mantras, writing articles, arguing in court etc...... but they did not do
But this incident brings the inner mind set of these doctors to the entire world....
SO they think that sweeping is a job below dignity, but not arguing in court or writing articles or chanting mantras..... And after doing this they say that there is not caste in India and caste is a word of past (and their fore fathers')
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