In my experience, my classmates who had reservations came from wealthy families. They wore fancy clothes & jewellery, drove fancy vehicles & had gone on phoren trips. There was a grand total of one guy from a genuinely poor background. In contrast, there were several from the 'privileged' general category in 300 sq ft apartments living with parents & grandparents, and struggled to afford even bicycles. Guess who opposes the 'creamy layer' proposal? If the 'socially disadvantaged' are the truly economically disadvantaged, who opposes an economic criteria for reservations?
The Kerala government has gone one step further. It has a special department for SCCC (Scheduled Caste converts to Christianity) incorporated in 1980. It will provide benefits only to converts, and will not provide benefits to a SC who hasn't converted. Guess who wants to keep this going?
When Ambedkar proposed reservations for 25 years, Gandhiji & Sardar presciently observed that once introduced, it will permanently divide the country on caste lines, and will be hard to revoke once introduced. Amazing foresight! Though Ambedkar himself wanted it to expire in 25 years, the govt renewed it once, and in the 50 year mark, made it permanent. However, they have no skin in the game. Where do the politicians go for treatment if they fall sick?
Any society that is not purely meritocratic will fail in the long term. Equality of opportunity is desirable, equality of outcome is never possible without social pressure & adverse consequences.
