Dear Mr. Narendra Modi..

Name: Anokhi Dasgupta

Nationality: Indian

Caste: ……. Well general!

And all this time I was taught that being an Indian was enough for me to live in this country. Till the time I was a little kid, life was simpler when I didn’t know that a specific discrimination entitles me to have a benefit or not. Not just me as an individual, but my entire family is the victim here. I have been told that I belong to a caste of Doctors. Good enough! We all must applaud to the revelation! But what has this unnecessary discrimination done for me? I started my college studying BBA. The official fee slab stated Rs.20,000 for a year. Cheap enough? Yes it was! For the very same reason I had a long procedure of aptitude tests, group discussion, personal interview, and a mock presentation. But later when I got the offer letter, I saw my fees go up to Rs.50,000 a year. Why was that, if you may ask?  That is because I fall into the General category of caste? All my hard work, sincerity, dedication was shattered in this battle.  Every quota disapproved my caste and I had no privilege of anything.

A year later I went onto pursue my life-long dream of being a creative writer and gave my name in for Mass Communication. I got into a pretty good college with amazing people all around. Surrounded by the hills, my college was the perfect place where I could be at. The best part, the prospectus stated, no reservation for out of Uttarakhand candidates. In my head I had a feeling, ‘Finally! No sabotage of my basic human rights!’

But later when I started my classes and made a few friends there, I had the most surprising revelation that the general caste has to pay literally double of what the SC/STs are paying again.

Mr. Modi, with all due respect, I would like to ask you something! The reservations were introduced in the Constitution of India, because at that time, India really needed them. But now when the youth is actually not stereotyping on who is Shudra and who is Brahmin, then why are we still there? Why are we still working on something, which does not exist, to that extent anymore?  Now the mechanism that works is the reverse reservation! Why aren’t we adopting Uniform Civil Code? Am I being punished for being a completely normal and contributing Indian? Is my religion the benchmark for my skill and work? Do we still have to live in a division of minority? Are we going to die discriminated? Are we not going to get the right to burn our ashes too later or there is a reservation for that too?

Sincerely,

Oh, So, General

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