15 Years, Little Progress? Reservation Policy Faces Review Call

Constitution-makers formulated policy of Reservation for fifteen years only which finished on 26^th January 1965. It was because only a selected few families mostly from political ones continued to enjoy fruits of the policy despite their being ultra-rich due to our pouted political system. Policy needs a total new look with creamy layer of reserved section society being compulsorily out of reserved category for even with their position reviewed on a yearly basis. There should be a central rule deciding fixation of reservation-quota for different categories including also for Scheduled Casts (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) or Other Backward Categories (OBC) and not at all at discretion of states. It is quite usual that states pass bills providing extra reservation-categories to appease sections of voters like once happened in Maharashtra seeking extra reservation for Marathas, which are struck down by Supreme Court as the Apex Court has repeatedly said that total reservation must not exceed 50-percent of available seats. However, in no case reservation on basis of religion may be permitted because India is a secular country where political parties must not be allowed discretion for reservation for minority-appeasing vote-bank politics. Also since backwardness in reserved categories is due to their generally having large families, benefits of reservations may be reserved for persons or families with up-to two children only. Even reservation to cast-based categories should be provided only for families having annual income less than rupees five lakhs, agricultural land less than 5 acres, residences less than 1000 square-feet and residential plot less than 100 square yards in notified municipal area and 200 square yards in non-notified municipal area. Brahmin-priests in temples are in fact needier for Reservation when people in small temples search for coins of smallest denomination to offer to the deities in temples, making priests leading a life Below-Poverty-Line.

While all other criterion for reservation like cast or religion is man-made, eunuchs are dominated section of society created by nature. It is indeed pity that even the respectable and affording families disown their own eunuch-children. Mere passing of The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 is not enough. Not only eunuchs should be given priority and reservation in government-jobs, but also private institutions giving employment of eunuchs should be encouraged by providing special subsidy on wages paid to eunuchs by private establishments. Seats should be reserved for eunuchs in legislature and in public-sector jobs. But more is required bring transgenders in main streamline and to ensure that transgenders may leave begging and singing-dancing as their profession for livelihood. An era should be there whereby transgenders may not separately in a society of their own, but may lead normal life in families of their birth. It is indeed an irony of the system that just 22 transgenders applied the year 2019 for under-graduate courses combined in thee universities in Delhi namely Delhi University, Jamia University and Ambedkar University.

Union government should constitute National Eunuch Commission. Unrestricted admission to any educational institution (private or public) for free education to eunuchs be made compulsory without needing any reserved quota. Government should be duty-bound to make eunuchs join mainstream with parents of new-born eunuch child neither allowed nor necessitated to deject their eunuch-child to be handed over to isolated society of old eunuchs for begging, dancing or resorting to some anti-social activities. Rather criminal action should be taken against those parents who may disown transgender-child. Eunuchs forcing parents to part away with transgender-children should likewise be arrested and punished with stringent-most framed legal provisions. Nothing can improve till effective measures are taken to make eunuchs come out from their regular profession of dancing and begging. It is to be noted that even some men posing as eunuchs resort to force people for giving them money. But more is required bring transgenders in main streamline and to ensure that transgenders may leave begging and singing-dancing as their profession for livelihood. An era should be there whereby transgenders may not separately in a society of their own, but may lead normal life in families of their birth.

Women though being 50-percent of population, get only a minute representation in law-making system. Women are even now especially in rural areas dominated section of society in our male-dominated society. First and foremost requirement is to provide at least 34-percent reservation to women in legislature, judiciary and even in bureaucracy at all levels. Many political parties cry for reservation on man-made aspects like religion and cast evidently for vote-bank politics, but oppose reservation to women which still remain dominated section of society created by nature in our male-dominated political system. Even Islamic world including Pakistan and many other democratic countries have adopted Women-Reservation in legislature. At a time when women-quota in panchayats and local bodies is being increased to 50-percent from earlier 34-percent, it is meaningless to resist 34-percent reservation to women in legislature. Rather there should be uniform 34-perecent reservation for women at all stages from civic bodies to Parliament. However, it should be ensured that women are not misused as proxy for their husbands in poll-campaigns through posters, hoardings and otherwise. It is quite usual that in poll-campaigns, names of husbands (political heavyweights of the area concerned) are given priority in bold letters with names of their wives (women-candidates) is in small letters. At a time when women are excelling in all fields may it be sports, defence, civil services, medical, space-technology and others, they do deserve same status as men in the society. It is pride for India that it had a woman Prime Minister Indira Gandhi which led nation to victory in great Indo-Pak war of the year 1971. Now the world has witnessed during G-20 summit in New Delhi that India is superbly led by a woman President Draupdi Murmu!