Reply to Anti-Reservationists

The following is the reply I gave to a friend's comments in Facebook opposing caste-based reservations.

First of all, a friendly reminder to Mr. P not to take anything I am going to say on a personal level. What we are discussing here is a matter of general interest only.

The comment from Mr. P is shocking and needs to be countered. Even though I had suspicions that this is exactly the kind of thinking nurtured by many upper castes, this was the first time I saw it crystal clear. The essence of the argument is that even in this 21^st century, people should follow their hereditary vocation adjusted to modern requirements. As you say, “a blacksmith’s son should become a mechanical engineer and a carpenter’s son should be a civil engineer because that is in their genes”. If everybody followed this ‘nugget of wisdom’, Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam would have been a fisherman, Dr. C V Raman would have a become a priest in the local temple and Gandhiji would be nothing more than a market trader. And no, the Germans are not crazy enough to follow this system. This attitude is simply racist and far from the truth. Albert Einstein’s father was a businessman, Max Planck’s father was a lawyer and though not a German, Isaac Newton’s father was a farmer! Caste is not in the genes. It was this same argument that squeezed the majority of Indian people dry in its vice-like grip for centuries.

And what profession should the sons of Brahmins follow? Teaching and priestcraft are prescribed for them and they are not allowed to cross the seas. Does it mean that those Brahmins who excelled in management, administration or commerce are incompatible with the ideas of good behaviour? And what vocation should the Dalits follow?

Once again, caste does not run in the genes. What good were the Kshatriyas in battles that raged for a thousand years? They lost their land and wealth in battles. The Rajputs proudly guarded the entrances of Mughal forts where their women were shared as slaves. Do you want those Kshatriyas to run the army now? It may be remembered that the first major war won by India was in 1971, after a gap of nearly 1500 years. The victory came only because the Kshatriyas’ share in the army came down greatly.

Caste does not run in the genes. Any downtrodden person, with sufficient talent and attitude can attain any position he seeks – with a little support from the society. You can’t expect an illiterate farm hand’s son to excel on the same level as the son of an educated government official. That’s where the need of reservation arises. It is not for all eternity. After 3-4 generations, the downtrodden people will be absorbed into the main stream and reservations may be revoked, but not till that great dawn arrives!

In the meantime, let no false notions of dharma stifle the nascent talent in children. I am reminded of a famous song by Vayalar Ramavarma, penned in 1973.

പ്രപഞ്ചസത്യം ചിതയിൽ കരിയും ബ്രഹ്മസ്വങ്ങൾക്കുള്ളിൽ
ദ്രവിച്ച പൂണൂൽ ചുറ്റി മരിക്കും ധർമാധർമങ്ങൾ
ചിറകു മുറിച്ചൊരു ഭാരതജീവിതമുണരാൻ
പ്രകൃതിച്ചുമരുകളോളം സർഗപ്രതിഭ പറന്നു നടക്കാൻ
പദ്മതീർഥമേ ഉണരൂ, മാനസപദ്മതീർഥമേ ഉണരൂ .....