-B R Ambedkar in his speech on 18th January 1943
The words of Ambedkar said in 1943 are still apt in the present circumstances. A person has a right to choose his/her life partner. In the manner which the Khap Panchayats operate and issue their farmaans against the individuals is a blatant example.
In the election year 2014, due to vote bank politics, these feeling of the view of the majority, be it caste majority, religious majority or the ethnic majority is given precedence over the legitimacy of the demands.
Jats have got reservation under the OBC quota, just before the election to gain votes as they have a sizable population.
A person has a right to move freely in the country and reside anywhere. Though in legal and constitutional terms it is valid, but still people face discrimination based on their language, gender, religion and caste. Finding a place in cities for certain sections of the society is getting really difficult.
What is happening is the compartmentalization of society with building walls around each other which is based on community. In the earlier village society, different communities had different geographical areas in the village, the SC basti, Muslim Basti and so on. Now the same is happening in the cities also.
The BJP and Congress have promised 100 modern cities (BJP) and 100 modern city clusters (Congress). But nobody is asking how these model cities will look like.
Whether these cities will have colonies based on relgion, like Parsi Colony, Muslim Colony, jain Colony and so on?
Whether in these modern cities too, the civic amenities will be provided on an area basis, which is visible in cities of India, with no Bank, Public Toilets and Govt. Schools in minority concentrated areas.
The BJP has not mentioned the Sachar Committee Report in its manifesto under the Minorty Agenda while Congress has mentioned that. BJP is totally against this whole idea of Committee based on religion while there can be committees based on caste. We must understand that ours is not a democratic society and it will take time to make it one. This is what Ambedkar had to say about that:
"A democratic form of Government presupposes a democratic form of society. The formal framework of democracy is of no value and would indeed be a misfit if there was no social democracy. The politicals never realized that democracy was not a form of Government. It was essentially a form of society. It may not be necessary for a democratic society to be marked by unity, by community of purpose, by loyalty to public ends and by mutuality ofsympathy. But it does unmistakably involve two things. The first is an attitude of mind, an attitude of respect and equality towards their fellows. The second is a social organization free from rigid social barriers. Democracy is incompatible and inconsistent with isolation and exclusiveness, resulting in the distinction between the privilegedand the unprivileged."
They say equal treatment to all. Though that is a constitutional right but when we see the ground reality, nothing like that exists.
Only governance can not much do if it is not inclusive. Although Congress promised that but they could not deliver much. We can doubt their ability and intention but we can outcry this demand of Inclusive Governance which is the need of the hour.
The sense of alienation which is felt by the minorities of the country will not vanish away just by saying that they are equal. They must be treated that way.
On saying this the people oppose this logic that then there should be no reservation based on Caste and Religion and then equality will arrive.
Though that is good for the society but not without reaching to and equal society. Till the time we reach there reservation is required, but there should be proper evaluation of the benefits achieved by that and revision of the policy.
How many of us could have known if Sachar Committee report was not out, that the condition of muslims is worse than the dalits.
Hardly any?
What BJP is saying is scrap all the bullshit and there will be equality. But how is that possible. If the facilities are not provided on an equal basis how will the people of the marginalized communities will succeed.
Provide the marginalized communities with better public amenities like schools, financial capital just as it is available to others. Now this has to be geographical. The Sachar Committee vouched for special plans for minority concentrated areas. Without this proper emphasis, if you scrap the reservation in jobs, education etc. They will be left behind where they were.
Only at a later stage when we become a truly democratic society then only the safeguards should be removed. Otherwise the system will collapse with one side having the rosy picture while other side having a grim.
