What next?

The subject of reservations has been argued over and over and over and over. Everything that could be said has been said, every alternative suggested, every road blocked, every protesting student water-cannoned and beaten. Why don't these students get it? What can they possibly hope to achieve by meeting the HRD minister or the Prime Minister? Hundred of students set themselves on fire about a decade ago for the same reason. Are some going to do it again? I hope not.

The issue with reservation, as with all other issues in this country, isn’t about the issue at all. It’s really only about vote banks. Visions of progress don’t mean anything; free television sets, free electricity to power the free television sets, and free rice to munch while watching free televisions running on free power win elections. Vir Sanghvi neatly points out

These proposals are not about social justice at all. They are about vote banks. The Congress has lost its traditional voter base over the last decade. And it is now doing all this in an effort to lure back those voters.

Reservation has damn-all to do with balancing society. It has everything to do with winning elections.

So, forget for a moment about the arguments for and against quotas. Think instead of the way this debate is being conducted. And consider what it tells us about today’s India.

There’s not very much to be proud of, is there?

The reason CPI(M) won so convincingly in West Bengal is that it gave the voters what they wanted. Apart from villages, their traditional strongholds, they got votes from urban centers because of the stark difference they brought about in the cities. My colleagues from Kolkata are surprised to visit the city after a couple of years to see good parts of their taxes spent on planned infrastructure development. This is what good governance can achieve.

Congress, incapable of that, would do everything else. So I have no doubts that this quota system will be put in place. Whether or not it will do any good was never even in question, at least not this n'th time. It only makes some people feel happy and protected, and it's Congress’ best shot. But I hope, at the end of it, the protestors will see to the root of the problem – votes. So stop wasting energy in useless directions!

If I were a restless pessimist, I would say that this government never listens to words of reason. The causes of Baba Amtes, Medha Patkars, Kashmiri pundits, Bhopal gas tragedy victims, suicidal farmers and protesting students will die their slow neglected deaths. Our government only negotiates with terrorists. Surprise surprise! Most modern democracies do just the opposite. We must be the only country that gives a patient ear to what Jehadists and Maoists have to say, hold round table conferences with separatists. But probably these are exactly the reasons these Js and Ms are born – pop a few people and you’ll be on centre-stage (digression). Maybe in my flowing pessimism I can add that we’re soon going to witness a few hate crimes against OBCs and that should be enough to spark nation wide upper-lower class riots.

A patient optimist, is what I'm trying to be, I would say “Let’s vote”, to my neighbour, my neighbour’s neighbour and so on. This is at least one way to beat them at their own game. India enjoys a distinct advantage in that the largest portion of its population can be grouped under ‘youth’ [ref: Business Line]. And nothing else but our own interests at stake. To all those who were inspired (or uninspired) by RDB, I say we don’t have to go that far; only as far as the polling booth. Look around, how many of you, your friends and cousins have voter IDs and use it?

These quotas are most likely going to stay for a while. Let’s vote them out. After all we’re the privileged majority – majority. If you've got a better solution, let's hear it.