Aarakshan or Quota

The roots of caste system are so deep rooted and wide spread that it has become difficult to think something in India without considering caste. Anywhere we go, caste also goes with us. Be it school, college, university or ultimately at the jobs. But Aarakshan or Quota is not only related to caste, it is more about politics than upliftment of the downtrodden. And the politics involved in it has rather made the life of the people even more miserable. Statistics tell that the percentage of people who really require the benefits and who in actual get it is complete mismatch. The one who requires hardly gets it. One more aspect which I can hardly understand is how a person who already availed the quota system and is in a good position can get his son or daughter also avail the same. The idea of quota system was upliftment and if one family is uplifted then tat family should no longer be allowed such benefits. Because that family now avails all that a high privileged or so called high caste people can avail. So, they should not be considered in the system.

What is more irony is that even after having these systems for so many decades, we can't say there is much improvement. One of the reason is that these are people are labelled by the government only as low castes and in a way making it easier for high caste people to continue with their ill treatment of them. These low castes people can never be equal with the mainstream because system puts a label or stigma upon them. Wherever they go, their caste also runs after after them. In colleges, jobs, etc. they are always being made to hear that they got this job just because they are from low caste which in other case they would not have got. And they have to live with this idea for their entire life. The more we divide on these lines, the more hatred grows among people.

The movie Aarakshan is also news because of all these. It deals with the caste system of India. Though it is difficult to presume anything now before the release of the movie, whether it supports or is against the whole system. But some groups say it to be pro reservation whereas few others consider it to be against reservation. So it is not appropriate to make out anything from now. Though many state governments have already banned the movie from being screened in those states. This is gross violation of the right to expression as granted in the constitution of India. Even state governments have stopped discussions on this topic in universities which are supposed to be centres of excellence and where diverse ideas should grow up. They are also not allowing the caste and crew of this movie to visit their states.

Aarakshan or Quota is a menace and the earlier we are free of it, the better it would be for the future of the country.