Demand for job reservations reverberating across several parts of India

Image Credit: indiaagainstreservation.in

Jobs! Suddenly, everyone seems to want one.

With the economy not generating enough jobs despite the GDP growing at a healthy clip of at over 7 per cent annually, trouble is brewing across several states with communities demanding reservation for government jobs. The demand for job reservations is a powerful magnet for leaders who want to make their political presence felt.

Last week, an agitation against a rape case in Maharashtra caught the fancy of the Marathas, lakhs of who marched in silent protests demanding justice. The teeming masses also wanted reservation for Marathas in government jobs, claiming that the welfare of the community has been overlooked.

The Jat community in Haryana, which has been demanding reservation for jobs, is again girding its loins. Its community members have been holding rallies in different locations in Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The significance of holding rallies in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh cannot be underestimated since assembly elections are due in both the states next year.

Gujarat’s saw leader Hardik Patel being catapulted to the national limelight when he led the agitation for the wealthy Patidar community. The Patidars like to believe that their rally was one of the reasons why former Chief Minister Anandiben Patel had to step down. The demand for job reservations has not died down despite the political upheaval that was caused.

In Andhra Pradesh, the demand for job reservation for the Kapu community is gathering some steam too.  Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has to handle a situation where Kapu community leader Mudragada Padmanabham went ahead with his third hunger strike in six months. 

The issue of reservation that is cropping up across the country needs to be seen in the light of issues of lack of livelihood. The situation is becoming such where the chasm between the haves and the have-nots has been growing and suddenly the violent protests have new meaning.  In the land of plenty, where opportunities are many, such protests will have no chance to grow.  But with economic growth not leading to employment, issues are bound to creep up.

The Government will do well to look at the issues of the masses and create ample job opportunities so that the country does not go up in flames. While I am not for “reservation” per se, but this disquiet has more to do with a perceived lack of prospects. Villages are getting urbanized and not many are interested in tilling the land anymore, which is seen as a futile endeavour by the educated "connected' youth.

The issue seems to be one of communication and lack of faith in the Government initiatives. The report card of the Government, which is doing an amazing job of policy level changes to propel growth, should not be bogged down by these protests and be seen as doing nothing to address these issues.  Schemes like the SEZ which have been reversed/shelved, which had the potential to revolutionize the job prospects by having mandatory processing areas, need to be relooked at.

The reservations notwithstanding, the faith building measures such as initiating dialogues with the communities, getting industry interested in creating job/employment opportunities, incentivizing private participation in infrastructure and therefore livelihood generation, skilling the masses and offering benefits and entrepreneurial mentoring and options will go a long way in nipping the issues in the bud and send out signals of a proactive government, going that extra mile to showcase its commitment to the people.