Issues in reservations

The development of society on capitalist lines and the disintegration of the prevailing social organisation, including the caste system, have created a serious socio-political crisis manifested in the conflict between the forward and backward communities with regard to reservation for purpose of civil service appointments and educational concessions. The basis of the two respective contending communities could be summed up in the following manner. The contention of the forward communities is based on the economic criteria. They hold that a large number of people belonging to their community are poorer than some of the poorest belonging to the backward communities. The economic backwardness they plead makes them backward socially as well as for securing jobs. They suggest that any reservation shall be on the economic basis of the family rather than the caste. The argument of the backward communities is based on the caste criterion. They contend that the social, economic and cultural backwardness to which they have been reduced is result of the centuries-old caste system. Even though some of them might be economically better-off, they continue to suffer due to social and cultural disabilities. They, therefore, plead for reservation on the basis of caste, rather than on economic status. There is a general consensus regarding the general backwardness of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as they are agreed to be backward in every sense of the term. There is no conflict on this issue between the forward' and 'backward' communities. Hence no change in the pattern extended to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes regarding reservation had been proposed. The problem has been a plea for change in respect of the basis of reservation for 'other' backward communities. Caste versus economic status has been the mode of conflict between backward and forward communities.