Comments on: The Why and How of affirmative action (reservations)? http://www.sastwingees.org/2006/04/23/the-why-and-how-of-affirmative-action-reservations/ Knowledge is Scrumptious Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:13:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.sastwingees.org/2006/04/23/the-why-and-how-of-affirmative-action-reservations/comment-page-1/#comment-158 Anonymous Tue, 25 Apr 2006 02:53:00 +0000 http://www.sastwingees.org/2006/04/23/the-why-and-how-of-affirmative-action-reservations/#comment-158 Thanks Ganesh. I agree with you completely on the growing economy part of it and that opportunities will increase dramatically and this whole argument will go away. I am very hopeful and optimistic that indeed will happen. I disagree with you on the economics-based reservation. This is an important point that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar argued and I agree with him. While the lower caste person may be rich, he/she cannot be expected to compete equally with a higher caste person because of the millenia of lack of access to education. Now if the rich lower caste person has a strong educational background in the family, then it makes for a different case. Overall, affirmative action is designed to disrupt the cycle of discrimination which has forced so many millions of people into backward status. We have to make sure as a society that this indeed happens. There will always be a few people that take advantage of a system and misuse it. But that cannot deter us from taking corrective action. Thanks Ganesh. I agree with you completely on the growing economy part of it and that opportunities will increase dramatically and this whole argument will go away. I am very hopeful and optimistic that indeed will happen.

I disagree with you on the economics-based reservation. This is an important point that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar argued and I agree with him. While the lower caste person may be rich, he/she cannot be expected to compete equally with a higher caste person because of the millenia of lack of access to education. Now if the rich lower caste person has a strong educational background in the family, then it makes for a different case. Overall, affirmative action is designed to disrupt the cycle of discrimination which has forced so many millions of people into backward status. We have to make sure as a society that this indeed happens. There will always be a few people that take advantage of a system and misuse it. But that cannot deter us from taking corrective action.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.sastwingees.org/2006/04/23/the-why-and-how-of-affirmative-action-reservations/comment-page-1/#comment-157 Anonymous Mon, 24 Apr 2006 06:43:00 +0000 http://www.sastwingees.org/2006/04/23/the-why-and-how-of-affirmative-action-reservations/#comment-157 Good points Sukumar. I believe that there is a minority of population in India that is socially backward but not economically backward. I do not see a reason for the reservation policies to be applied to such sections of the population. I would rather see a college seat be reserved for a deserving poor upper caste student than a rich lower caste one. Economy should be added to the criteria of reservation, unless lo and behold we want the pendulum to swing to the other end - where the upper caste become the subjugated ones. Once everyone realiizes that they can achieve their dream of a decent livelihood if they work hard, and start working towards this goal instead of paying heed to politicians, things will fall into place. And now more than ever, is the time for this - Economy is growing at a robust rate, and India is expected to be one of the economic super powers. Hopefully, the good things will percolate down to the lowest starta of the society. And this I believe will be the equalizer - the economy!! Ganesh Good points Sukumar.

I believe that there is a minority of population in India that is socially backward but not economically backward. I do not see a reason for the reservation policies to be applied to such sections of the population.

I would rather see a college seat be reserved for a deserving poor upper caste student than a rich lower caste one.

Economy should be added to the criteria of reservation, unless lo and behold we want the pendulum to swing to the other end – where the upper caste become the subjugated ones.

Once everyone realiizes that they can achieve their dream of a decent livelihood if they work hard, and start working towards this goal instead of paying heed to politicians, things will fall into place. And now more than ever, is the time for this – Economy is growing at a robust rate, and India is expected to be one of the economic super powers. Hopefully, the good things will percolate down to the lowest starta of the society. And this I believe will be the equalizer – the economy!!

Ganesh

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