My views on Caste Census from a Poor General Category Perspective

What is caste? Is it applicable to Muslims and Christians? It is not in my knowledge. The Caste-based Reservation Quota System is the worst thing that happened in independent India. It is sheer unfairness towards the poor people of the general category. Children of wealthy politicians, professionals, and industrialists of the general category can afford payment seats or study abroad. The poor people of OBC and Islam will get reservation seats. What about us? The poor general category people are the casualties of this gross injustice. Why can't the government grant benefits to people based only on their economic and educational status? Disappointing Modiji and Rahul Gandhiji.

 

Why even mention the name of the caste in an era when we identify individuals by their Aadhar number? Like religion, people must not be pressured or allured with benefits to disclose their caste. Taking a caste census is an egregious decision to placate a section of the Hindu OBC vote bank. The PM of India is an OBC, and the CM of Kerala is an OBC. Ambanis and Adanis, Kapoors and Kohlis, all are filthy rich. Their children can study abroad or get payment seats. Our children get ignored everywhere. Their fault? They are poor and general category. I pray God will end the caste-based Reservation Quota System in Hindustan as the Americans have obliterated DEI from their country.'

 

The government would point out to the EWS a 10% reservation for poorer general category individuals. Even so, it is nothing but throwing dust in people's eyes to hide the politicians' trade secret of caste-based vote bank politics. It does not solve the problem of injustice but accentuates it by increasing reservations and downsizing the general category. For instance, the income cap for the EWS reservation in states like Kerala is four lac Indian rupees. It means many families in the general category earn less than four lacs annually. If they obtain 10% seats, we have no problem.

 

However, many more families may earn a little above the prescribed margin of four lacs, say the five lac category. The 10% reservation reduces the general category seats by another 10%, downsizing it to 40%. It means that all –rich, poor, OBC, and SC/ST –would compete for 40% of the seats. Now, the person from five lacs per annum family would get no reservations and compete only in 40% of seats as opposed to the 50% in the earlier system. It would reduce their chances of qualifying significantly. In effect, this would act like an acid wall that destroys the aspirations of many children born in families that earn slightly more than four lacs. Thus, it would increase instead of decreasing injustice.

 

Furthermore, the intention of the Supreme Court in upholding Amendment 103 (see below) was to affirm the idea of "economy-based reservation against the caste-based reservation." Therefore, reimagining reservations once again around the caste system using the redundant caste census is a step in the backward direction. It would incite more passion among certain castes to increase their reservation share. Otherwise, what's the point of doing it anyway? The needless caste census and increasing quotas based on its results is a smokescreen to obtain the votes of certain castes by placating them with more reservation share in jobs and education. Give merit to merit, for nothing else can replace merit.

 

On 7 November 2022, the Supreme Court of India by a 3:2 verdict in Janhit Abhiyan vs Union Of India Writ Petition (Civil) No(S). 55 OF 2019 upheld the validity of the 103rd constitutional amendment carried out to provide legal sanction to carve out 10% reservation for the economically weaker sections from unreserved classes for admission in educational institutions and government jobs and held that the 50% cap on quota is not inviolable and affirmative action on economic basis may go a long way in eradicating caste-based reservation. This constitutional amendment pushed the total reservation to 59.50% in central institutions.

 

If Modiji and Rahulji take my caste census, *Name: Manoj Kumar Khatore. Sex: Male.* *Religion: Personal* (none of your business). *God: Personal* (why do you bother? I may change the God I worship as I learn more and more. Even Hindus change their deities.) *Caste: Not Applicable*. (Who created the caste system? Did Dr. Ambedkar believe in the caste system? Is caste a secular category? Does Islam or Christianity have a caste system?) *Race*: ??? (why don't you, an Indian politician, ask that question if you know how to classify, segregate, stereotype, divide, and rule people based on caste?) *When will you ask me the only question that matters? *Merit!*

 

I am fasting and praying today against the unfair caste-based reservation quota system in Hindustan. The only thing that has no merit in this country is Merit. The Reservation Quota System won't work in any Western country, but all political parties of India favor it for vote bank politics. If you are poor and general category, this system would ruin your future thoroughly. Even if you are a bright student, you won't get the seat you deserve in education or employment. The ten percent EWS is a sham. That is how the politician justifies his vote bank politics. EWS creates more unfairness because the General category is reduced even further to 40%. The reservation system is daylight robbery.