I saw this image doing the rounds on Facebook (without my own comment in that clumsily crafted star, of course). Though it is a rather stupid argument being made, and takes very less to expose, unfortunately there are many who buy this nonsense without caring to make even that minimum exercise of their brain. Even if I dissect this image, pull out the flaws and keep them on the table, those who don’t want to see the institutionalized injustice of caste-based reservation will just close their eyes. Nevertheless, I hope it will at least reassure others like myself that not all have been deluded by foolishness.

To begin with, if the two instances brought up in the Meme are to be related, it should have linked abolishing reservations to abolishing loans and made its point – not to withholding loans to a specific set of people. Loans are not given based on caste – the person in question did not get the loan by virtue of being a Brahmin, while the other person got reservation solely on the basis of their caste. Can this obvious point be so conveniently overlooked?

Further, those who point out the reservation scenario mentioned are more likely to argue for reviewing reservation system (at least as a first step) – specifically, how eligible candidates are identified. This is similar to how the other scenario should force banks to rethink their mechanism for identifying credit worthy clients. To me, both of these conclusions are not without merit.

In our country, even if the both parents (and even grand parents) of a person from the so called backward castes have availed reservation and are in well-paying government jobs, this person and their children will still be eligible for reservation, whereas children of uneducated, poor parents from other communities are denied a chance at education or employent even when they work hard and earn it through pure merit. If this is not injustice, what is?

Even if we were to decide that reservation is a great system to ensure level playing field for the disadvantaged, shouldn’t its benefit go to those who are really disadvantaged? It is our reluctance to face this question honestly that has led to the sorry state in our country – where those with cunning have continued to use this provision for their advantage for over decades, while the really backward ones who deserve a helping hand have been either ignored (in case of those from the reserved categories) or put through institutionalized hardships.

There are many ways to determine who needs the most support of the state to come up in life and take control of it. Caste may be (I will say may be, because I don’t want to be stubborn and refuse to hear any valid point that others may have) one of the criteria, but it is definitely not the only one – not even the most important one, in my opinion. Being rich or poor is an important factor. Those with money have more opportunities open to them, and are also in a position to invest in making themselves fit for those opportunities (primarily through training and skill development). Educated parents will typically be in a better position to know of the options available for their children, and thus can provide them an advantage that children of uneducated parents are deprived of. Those living in cities have an advantage over those in remote villages.

How long can we pretend that none of these factors matter, and that a person’s caste alone should determine what they achieve in life? How long can we continue this vote-bank politics and try to fool ourselves with fallacious arguments such as the one in this viral internet meme? Caste-based reservation is an institutionalized mechanism to continue casteism and injustice meted out to people based on the community they’re born into – the very demon that it is said to combat. When we are finally ready to accept this truth and address it, I hope we don’t seek to do it by setting up reservation for Brahmins or other communities that are now being discriminated against, but instead by resolving to see the problem holistically and (very importantly), to review the solution that is thus arrived at from time to time to determine its continued relevance. For otherwise, we’d only be pushing the pendulum back with greater force instead of stopping its swing.