EBC quota will affect concept of equality

Politics is important because it has consequences. The most important is the impact on our society. Whether they intend it or not, governments can alter or amend the character of our lives. This is why the decision to change the Constitution to permit 10% reservation for those who are deemed to be economically weak out of the section of the population currently not benefitting from reservations is of great significance. If it happens, it will change the sort of people we are, affect the lives we live and influence our aspirations.

Till now, reservations were intended to tackle historically established social and educational deprivation. This was their justification. This is about to change. Hereafter, reservations will also become a way of undertaking poverty alleviation. Traditionally, the rich have been taxed so as to redistribute to the poor. Now they will also be denied access to educational institutions and jobs so that these can be reserved for the poor. 

A further consequence of this is that merit will increasingly be superseded by birth or economic status as the way of securing a school or university education and a government job. In turn, this will affect the concept of equality. Those who are poor or socially and educationally deprived will have a better chance of securing admission to educational institutions or government jobs than those deemed to be rich. We’re likely to end up a country where almost everyone will be the beneficiary of reservations. Only a small, if not minuscule, minority will be excluded.

 - Sriram Raju, Vizianagaram