Politics of Reservation: Implications for Social Justice

The growing rise of demand for the reservation by some of the socially influential communities exerts pressure on the elected governments, especially at the state level. This will considerably reduce the reservation space available for the genuine communities who are facing jaati based discrimination and exclusion in socio-political governance. The reluctance of the Indian State to conduct a jaati (caste) census across the country is an indication of the use of reservations for the electoral gains rather than using it as a tool for achieving social equality and justice. The caste census is a kind of double-edged sword and has large political ramifications. The extension of reservation benefits without scientific basis/criteria is counterproductive as it pushes more and more dominant communities into the ambit of affirmative action, thereby depriving the benefits to the genuine communities who are at the bottom of the socio-political order.