Thursday, May 25, 2006
take a break
I suppose since the governement and all the political parties are standing firm on the issue of reservations, it is time for all of us to take a break.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
stereotypes
It is interesting to analyze the violent stereotypes that the anti-reservation group is spreading about Dalit/Adivasi students. There are two main pictures which emerge.
One is the greedy, underserving middle class Dalit student who is arriving in a private vehicle (son/daughter of a high level beaurocrat who has got into the system through reservation) and who is sneaking into the system immorally.
The other is the village lout who cannot speak english very well, nor can cope with the complex classes because he/she lacks merit, period!
As far as the midde class dalit is concerned (the elusive creamy layer), when one takes the admission procedures of IITs etc. it is clear that very few first generation dalit/adivasi students might be able to compete with the coaching centred entrance systems of the elite institutions. Does this mean that already under-represented communities need not be represented at all? Moreover, when one considers the still prevailing racial discrimination in our interview systems (which even middle class dalits face) and the lack of inner confidence and lack of availability of role models for underprevileged children, how are we to easily buy the creamy layer argument?
In this situation, when the "deserving" first generation reservation benificiary comes into the institution, s/he faces castiest comments about "merit." Kamaal hai!
One is the greedy, underserving middle class Dalit student who is arriving in a private vehicle (son/daughter of a high level beaurocrat who has got into the system through reservation) and who is sneaking into the system immorally.
The other is the village lout who cannot speak english very well, nor can cope with the complex classes because he/she lacks merit, period!
As far as the midde class dalit is concerned (the elusive creamy layer), when one takes the admission procedures of IITs etc. it is clear that very few first generation dalit/adivasi students might be able to compete with the coaching centred entrance systems of the elite institutions. Does this mean that already under-represented communities need not be represented at all? Moreover, when one considers the still prevailing racial discrimination in our interview systems (which even middle class dalits face) and the lack of inner confidence and lack of availability of role models for underprevileged children, how are we to easily buy the creamy layer argument?
In this situation, when the "deserving" first generation reservation benificiary comes into the institution, s/he faces castiest comments about "merit." Kamaal hai!
Monday, May 22, 2006
Jayati Ghosh and P.M. Bhargava congratulations
Why did Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Andre Beteille resign from the national knowledge commission? Any way, the stand that it keeps taking about education for the masses - the commission itself should not exist. Beteille, earlier had taken a stand that caste system in India should not be comapred to race discrimination when Dubin meeting was goingon. They have apparently resigned because the govt is not concerned about the issue of reservation, it seems! Good riddance of bad rubbish as far as I am concerned. congrats to Jayati Ghosh and P.M. Bhargava for taking a courageous stand on reservations.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Media Watch
Generally, the electronic media has shown its totally savarna character. Sahara is the worst, according to me.
But two days ago there was a nice programme in CNN IBN, which i suspect the channel did not intend! The pro-reservationists had taken over the programme. I was really impressed by Mr Raja, the CPI leader's commitment (the way Sagarika Ghosh ran away from him when he said land reforms are the first step towards an egalitarian society in the context of supporting reservations)
But two days ago there was a nice programme in CNN IBN, which i suspect the channel did not intend! The pro-reservationists had taken over the programme. I was really impressed by Mr Raja, the CPI leader's commitment (the way Sagarika Ghosh ran away from him when he said land reforms are the first step towards an egalitarian society in the context of supporting reservations)
Monday, May 15, 2006
We need to organise
I support OBC reservations very strongly. So, anyone who has entered this website thinking there is a neutral point of view will be disappointed. When there is justice and injustice and you are placed in the middle, there is no neutral position available. If you claim to take a neutral position, it only means that you are with injustice!
The uppercaste students from the metros are organising in small numbers. They get full media coverage and all the middle class hearts weep at the sight of beautiful, white skinned young people marching in the scorching heat of New Delhi and the police wielding lathis against them. While state atrocity againgst anyone has to be condemned, the agenda of the media in repeating the visual of the white coated (and white skinned) doctors getting thrashed on the roads even on Monday (when the visual which was shown actually happened on Saturday) is quite clear. The same day, the police burnt around 600 basti houses without notice. Since the faces that will apppear on the TV will not be audience friendly (i.e. they will be dark and even dirty!) and he issue is not something NDTV's and Sahara's audience will weep, they came a flicker and disappeared from public view.
We are feeling strongly about the issue of OBC reservations. We want to use this blog to organise support for reservations and perhaps start a movement to draw support for it. Please contribute to the debate and post information on action here.
The uppercaste students from the metros are organising in small numbers. They get full media coverage and all the middle class hearts weep at the sight of beautiful, white skinned young people marching in the scorching heat of New Delhi and the police wielding lathis against them. While state atrocity againgst anyone has to be condemned, the agenda of the media in repeating the visual of the white coated (and white skinned) doctors getting thrashed on the roads even on Monday (when the visual which was shown actually happened on Saturday) is quite clear. The same day, the police burnt around 600 basti houses without notice. Since the faces that will apppear on the TV will not be audience friendly (i.e. they will be dark and even dirty!) and he issue is not something NDTV's and Sahara's audience will weep, they came a flicker and disappeared from public view.
We are feeling strongly about the issue of OBC reservations. We want to use this blog to organise support for reservations and perhaps start a movement to draw support for it. Please contribute to the debate and post information on action here.
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