Land Reform and Reservation: Undoing Historic Wrongs One has to understand that reservation and Land Reform

go hand in hand. Land Reform brings to a large number of rural landless people into the mainstream. It is meant to undo historic wrong while quota in the government services mean representation in power structure. It has to be proportionate based. Often argument is given that Dalits and backward do not compete with the upper caste students. What could be far from truth is that such lies continue to spread through media. I am sure they should know that a large number of Dalits in the bureaucracy are functioning relatively better than their upper caste counterparts. Some of them have been writing in daily newspapers. Dalit academia has come up and writing their history which has been concocted by the upper caste historians. The case of Justice KG Balakrishnan is a reminder. Justice Balakrishnanas' name was Suggested by late President K.R.Narayanan. The media made hue and cry. Narayanan wrote that there are many efficient judges from Dalits, Backward and tribal categories and they should be given representation in judiciary. The answer he got from the Government was that Balakrishnan was competent judge but underage. But the real fear was that if Justice Bala Krishanan is not denied due opportunity, he would be one of the longest serving Chief Justices of Indian Supreme Court, nearly for six years. That is the matter of concern for the manipulators. Upper castes wanted judiciary to remain in their hands so that all the executive order are abolished by judicial judgments under the false pretext of Public Interest Litigations. Hindus are expert in these litigations and become leaders after filing them in the court. It is not easy for any other community particularly for Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis to file PIL and get accepted. Recently, an outlook story pointed out how a senior officer belonging to Scheduled Castes was first made Deputy Governor and then demoted. Such injustices against Dalits happen in large number. If there is no quota, we know the upper castes have no respect for merit. They will want an India led by the North Indian Brahmins and their Bania chums. Since the political environment has changed therefore they are targeting educational institutions. Our Industries so far are domain of Marwaris run on family business. I am sure Rahul Bajaj would not appoint any other meritorious person as head of his organization against his own children. I am sure he wont claim that he has the best brain. Dalit and backwards are running business now As far as Dalits and backwards are concern, no body can put any doubt on their merit. They are running business institutions and even banks. Siddhartha Bank in

Maharstra, Kunbi cooperative Bank in Konkan, Banks in the name of Ambedkar in and around Madhya Pradesh are working and succeeding. Blaming Dalits for just 2% of job is Another calumny, which the Hindus are experts in over the year. One needs not to tell these guys as who are the people who make 'Dastkar' or 'Fab India' what they are today. How come the upper castes minting money on the excellence and work of Dalit Adivasi women in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharastra. Do upper caste reward them with this merit? Today, Dr Narendra Jadav is one of the most respected Economists in Government of India and deputed to Central Bank of Afganistan to support build financially strong Afganistan. This upper caste phobia of reservation against merit has to be rebutted. To run a country and its administration, we need diversity reflected in our masses. A few Brahmins and Marwaris cannot represent India. You have to give fare representation to Linguistic and religious minorities. Dalits, Adivasis and backward communities have faced discrimination for years and therefore they need special attention by the governments. Lesson for backward communities: Dalits face brunt of the upper castes for supporting backward communities. It is not unusual that Dalits were in the forefront of support to Mandal Commission Report. That was a time when Dalit Bahujan concept materialized. Unfortunately, because of short term gains of our political leaders, all succumbed to Hindutva game plan. Backwards became champion of Hindutva gang and started hitting the Dalits in their respective power domain. Whether it is Yadavas in UP and Bihar or Thewars in Andhra or Gujjars in Uttar-Pradesh and Haryana, backward communities worked as a foot soldiers of their brahmanical bosses. But in this important battle for reclamation of their rights, backwards have found that they lack a complete political will to fight this battle. They should now humbly follow the Dalits in this battle of reservation. Dalits have Ambedkar, Phule as their icons and backwards would do well to gain from Ambedkar and his writings. In the meanwhile, all Dalit bahujan should join hand against the upper caste onslaught on their rights. Remember, the brahmanical forces of the cow belt are afraid of losing their hegemony. They have already lost the political battle. They run politics on crookedness. It is time the Dalits, backwards, Adivasis come together and give a fitting reply. Organise debates and debunk the upper caste merit. Merit is nothing but a Dronacharya syndrome. That was past. Today in the 21st century such Dronacharyas would be taught a lesson. India cannot gain if a majority of its population is absent from power structure. Let us force the government to implement quota fully. Let government bring out a white paper on reservation and tell us what exactly is the percentage of Dalits,and backwards in government services. Give us report categories wise. Let us demand that where

are 27% backward IAS officers or 17.5% Dalit IAS officers in government if quota is fairly implemented. Meanwhile, the Medical students would do well to study their classes and think of their future. Such blackmailing on part of them would be counterproductive for India's health. Let this debate also build up a formidable alliance of Dalit Bahujan which got derailed in the past. The upper caste protest therefore will ultimately help us realize the long cherish dream of unity of all the oppressed communities led by the Dalits. For the Dalit backward Member of Parliament, it is time to awake and arise. Put the entire reservation for OBCs, Dalits and Adivasis in IX Schedule of the constitution so that it remained outside the judicial scrutiny, as has been the case in Tamilnadu. Perhaps, this anti reservation rhetoric of the upper caste 'spiritual' medical practitioners, a majority of whom are unethical and follow Tantra and have allowed to build temples outside ICUs of the hospitals against rational medical practices, will help Dalits and bahujan communities to sink their differences and draw a common strategy to secure their future.