Endeavour to keep upper castes in good humour

The Union Cabinet has reportedly taken a decision of granting 10 reservations in govt. job and educational institutions for economically weaker section of upper castes. With the public anger mostly of upper castes in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattishgarh against the BJP where it has also lost assembly elections, Narendra Modi government decided to get back its support base by granting reservation to the economically weaker section of the upper caste. The way the Modi govt. dealt with Atrocity Act against SC/ST, paying no respect to Supreme Court observation regarding it, the upper caste people all over India especially in UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and other Hindi speaking states went against the BJP. Upper castes- Brahmins, Rajputs, Baniya and Bhumihars - are BJP's main support base all over the country. After having lost assembly elections in three Hindi heartland states, BJP realized that if it failed to assuage the hurt feelings of upper castes due to its stand in Atrocities Act against SC/ST, it would be very difficult to win 2019 Lok Sabha elections. So, in view of the coming general elections, this is a very big move of the Narendra Modi government. It may prove to be game changer. Modi govt. is likely to move the bill for 10 reservations for economically weaker section of upper castes in govt. jobs and educational institutions. One thing is certain that no party will outwardly oppose the reservation move. As the issue of reservation has been a great political instrument in the hands of ruling political parties since independence, it has been used to guard the political interest of the ruling party. Reservation policy was implemented for a certain period of time and it was also decided that after that an appraisal would be made to know whether it needed to be extended or not. Reservation must not be a permanent supporting system for anyone. But no appraisal was ever made since reservation policy was implemented and contrary to it, it was extended several times to reap only political benefits. Very few who deserve reservation have got it. Most of the reservation benefits have gone to the people among reservation category who are well off. The politics of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samajwadi party in Uttar Pradesh and RJD in Bihar is based on caste-based reservation policy. SP of Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD of Lalu Prasad Yadav in UP and Bihar respectively came to centre stage of national politics only after the implementation of Mandal Commission under which 27 % reservation was given to OBCs in govt. jobs and educational institutions. Mandal commission was implemented by the VP Singh government in 1990. Now, BJP plays the card of reservation. It is purely a political move to retrieve its position among its upper caste support base. Supreme Court has already drawn a line of demarcation in regard to the reservation. It has already said that there cannot be more that 50 % reservation. So, to implement 10 per cent reservation for economically weak upper castes, the ruling BJP will have to move for the amendment to the relevant section in the constitution. The policy of reservation has been used only for the sake of political interest in the country so far. So, it would be better if reservation policy is done away with in totality and the field must be left open for all in equal proportion. It would also be much better and more profitable that if instead of reservation in government jobs, govt. should help the poor students irrespective of their caste, community and creed economically pursue the study.