Full disclosure: According to the technical classification, I do NOT belong to a 'forward caste' myself. Also, I have NEVER used a handout based on the community I belong to.
What I choose to take away from Ashis Nandy's recent comments that caused an uproar, is that it must be accepted that there is a link between caste and corruption.
Before you get hot and bothered, I intend to completely explain what I mean by this. Even the most educated and accomplished among us will continue to use and stick to these labels that our forefathers stamped on our foreheads. Because our system allows it and we do nothing to move beyond it.
Reservations and Corruption
Reservations in colleges, offices etc. seem to be beneficial to the so-called SC/ST/OBCs. (I do not seem to be able to find any study/proof/statistic that supports this sentence, but let us just believe so.) But this is very grave injustice to these communities and groups.
Let us consider the example of a small village at the edge of a town. Here, some person born in to a financially deprived, so-called SC/ST/OBC community finds his way into school. My argument is that since our education system at this level is not even substandard, and there would be little support from this student's family (presumably illiterate), the child has little development. But it is possible (and occurs all over the country) that this child passes all his exams and finds his way into a reserved seat and then a reserved job (and later a reserved promotion as well.) We then expect this ill-trained person to adapt to his responsibilities, justify his salary and remain honest.All this in spite of the fact that we have taught him all his life that it is possible to get ahead without ever making an effort.
Not in any single way the fault of this unfortunate student. He had the fish plopped into his lap and he never even learned to hold the fishing rod. Either he messes up and remains frustrated and hates his job, or he continues to believe that rewards will keep coming to him without having to work for it. In my mind, even if this person does not accept a bribe, he is corrupt - he has taken a position for which he was not qualified and does not do it well.
At the same time, let us consider a city bred child in a community that does not come under these SC/ST/OBC categories. There is a high likelihood that this community already consists of extremely intelligent people and yet are not financially as well off as they would like to be. Throughout school this child will do well because there is help at home and even if the school does not help, the child will surely get there. But it is not enough for this child to just be good, he has to excel and spend his teenage years thinking of what can be done to get into the best college ever. The pressure from friends, parents, relatives, even neighbours is immeasurable. At the end, it is a matter of chance and a few decimal points - he could lose a potentially lucrative career. Any normal kid would end up being bitter with the society - it is just human. I may be making a leap here but it seems quite possible that given the opportunity and given the bitterness that he has had to endure, this person would attempt to amass wealth by any means necessary to ensure that his child doesn't have to face the same fate. Another major impact is psychological - a reinforcement of our caste-based biases and hatred.
This problem cannot be solved by providing reservations based on financial conditions. The second child in my example was poor but had the benefit of being from a well-knit and educated community. Irrespective of the first child's financial state, he had little help from his environment. Both these children suffer and the cause is the same. No, the answer is not reservations. The answer is education. If we take away the influence of the home environment, the case of both children in my example is the same. The only difference was environment. To all the cases that do not come under my blanket generalization, my apologies.
I have rambled on enough. My entire argument boils down to this: backward castes must be supported. Our history has deprived them. Through the success of one person in a downtrodden community that entire community benefits in being able to look up to a role model. But there is no point to it if the foundation is not strong. For communities in rural poor regions with low literacy rates, special attention must be provided to strengthening basic education. Until this step is taken we will continue to produce graduates who possess few skills and abilities.
The implication of the caste system is that people's capabilities and intelligence is influenced by their genes. But the importance of environment's influence on IQ has been scientifically analyzed and there is a strong correlation. (reference in further reading) While scientists have not decided which it is yet I think there is a reason why our Varna system was devised in the first place. It was a simple world - a child at birth became his father's apprentice, he was educated in his family's trade or skill.Thus, his home environment which became his education and work environment was entirely invested in the development of his skill. Even back then our forefathers understood the importance of environment. Instead of the obsession we have with our labels today, I think it is time for us to understand these more important (and reasonable) implications of the Varna system and implement those!
Finally, if it is not yet evident what I mean by the connection between caste and corruption, let me be more explicit. We continue to define ourselves based on what community we belong to. If we choose to forget it, we are continuously reminded of it because of our system. If we are affected by it, we are bitter and would like to have our money back. If we benefit from it, we do not always understand it well and thus cannot always give back to the society that gave to us.
Further reading:
Genetics and the Environment - Genetic And Environmental Influenceson Intelligence
What I choose to take away from Ashis Nandy's recent comments that caused an uproar, is that it must be accepted that there is a link between caste and corruption.
Before you get hot and bothered, I intend to completely explain what I mean by this. Even the most educated and accomplished among us will continue to use and stick to these labels that our forefathers stamped on our foreheads. Because our system allows it and we do nothing to move beyond it.
Reservations and Corruption
Reservations in colleges, offices etc. seem to be beneficial to the so-called SC/ST/OBCs. (I do not seem to be able to find any study/proof/statistic that supports this sentence, but let us just believe so.) But this is very grave injustice to these communities and groups.
Let us consider the example of a small village at the edge of a town. Here, some person born in to a financially deprived, so-called SC/ST/OBC community finds his way into school. My argument is that since our education system at this level is not even substandard, and there would be little support from this student's family (presumably illiterate), the child has little development. But it is possible (and occurs all over the country) that this child passes all his exams and finds his way into a reserved seat and then a reserved job (and later a reserved promotion as well.) We then expect this ill-trained person to adapt to his responsibilities, justify his salary and remain honest.All this in spite of the fact that we have taught him all his life that it is possible to get ahead without ever making an effort.
Not in any single way the fault of this unfortunate student. He had the fish plopped into his lap and he never even learned to hold the fishing rod. Either he messes up and remains frustrated and hates his job, or he continues to believe that rewards will keep coming to him without having to work for it. In my mind, even if this person does not accept a bribe, he is corrupt - he has taken a position for which he was not qualified and does not do it well.
At the same time, let us consider a city bred child in a community that does not come under these SC/ST/OBC categories. There is a high likelihood that this community already consists of extremely intelligent people and yet are not financially as well off as they would like to be. Throughout school this child will do well because there is help at home and even if the school does not help, the child will surely get there. But it is not enough for this child to just be good, he has to excel and spend his teenage years thinking of what can be done to get into the best college ever. The pressure from friends, parents, relatives, even neighbours is immeasurable. At the end, it is a matter of chance and a few decimal points - he could lose a potentially lucrative career. Any normal kid would end up being bitter with the society - it is just human. I may be making a leap here but it seems quite possible that given the opportunity and given the bitterness that he has had to endure, this person would attempt to amass wealth by any means necessary to ensure that his child doesn't have to face the same fate. Another major impact is psychological - a reinforcement of our caste-based biases and hatred.
This problem cannot be solved by providing reservations based on financial conditions. The second child in my example was poor but had the benefit of being from a well-knit and educated community. Irrespective of the first child's financial state, he had little help from his environment. Both these children suffer and the cause is the same. No, the answer is not reservations. The answer is education. If we take away the influence of the home environment, the case of both children in my example is the same. The only difference was environment. To all the cases that do not come under my blanket generalization, my apologies.
I have rambled on enough. My entire argument boils down to this: backward castes must be supported. Our history has deprived them. Through the success of one person in a downtrodden community that entire community benefits in being able to look up to a role model. But there is no point to it if the foundation is not strong. For communities in rural poor regions with low literacy rates, special attention must be provided to strengthening basic education. Until this step is taken we will continue to produce graduates who possess few skills and abilities.
The implication of the caste system is that people's capabilities and intelligence is influenced by their genes. But the importance of environment's influence on IQ has been scientifically analyzed and there is a strong correlation. (reference in further reading) While scientists have not decided which it is yet I think there is a reason why our Varna system was devised in the first place. It was a simple world - a child at birth became his father's apprentice, he was educated in his family's trade or skill.Thus, his home environment which became his education and work environment was entirely invested in the development of his skill. Even back then our forefathers understood the importance of environment. Instead of the obsession we have with our labels today, I think it is time for us to understand these more important (and reasonable) implications of the Varna system and implement those!
Finally, if it is not yet evident what I mean by the connection between caste and corruption, let me be more explicit. We continue to define ourselves based on what community we belong to. If we choose to forget it, we are continuously reminded of it because of our system. If we are affected by it, we are bitter and would like to have our money back. If we benefit from it, we do not always understand it well and thus cannot always give back to the society that gave to us.
Further reading:
Genetics and the Environment - Genetic And Environmental Influenceson Intelligence
