Hardik Patel and reservations

The recent agitation for reservation benefits by the Patel community in Gujarat has gathered attention all over the country. Hardik Patel, convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), has become the face of the movement. The peaceful movement began in July but recently, has taken a violent turn.

The debate on reservation in India has been a never-ending one. Reservations were introduced in India to eradicate caste based discrimination and to bring equality in our society. Be it in jobs or admission in colleges or schools, reservations have become an integral part of the whole country. However, it has been misused by people in a number of ways, like for gaining seats in colleges and jobs. Also, it has become a tool of gaining votes by political parties by appealing to the different caste groups. The real purpose of reservations has dwindled with time.

The Patels, for instance, are a politically as well as an economically prominent group in Gujarat. It is ironic that such an affluent group has been seeking the status of other backward castes. Their movement rightfully reflects how reservations no longer serve the purpose they were created for. It’s time that the norms of reservations be transformed, and the people who are actually in need of them be identified. The economically backward people who don’t have resources even to live a respectable life in the society require them much more than a well-off community. It’s essential that reservations start serving the purpose which it acquired a place in the Constitution of our nation.

[author image=”http://www.aapkatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Shalini-Shreya.jpg” ]Shalini Shreya is pursuing Political Science hons from Miranda House(DU) and loves to write on social issues as well as reporting college activities.[/author]

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