The Clash of the Titans!
Right now, there is a strong tussle going on inside my mind. And the dilemma is not simple. It is no lesser than any civil war worth its salt! I need to decide what to write about and the candidates are as below:
1. The Bloody Breed of Blasted Bai's
2. The Anti-Reservation controversy and where that seems to be headed.
Well, now you see. The Titans are indeed clashing. At this point, the social consciousness in me is emerging victorious. And maybe this will turn out to be another of those 'win-win' solutions because sooner or later the BBB Bai will get her share of dubious honor on my blog.
So on with Point 2: Thats what this blog is really about.
I went for the Anti-Reservation Protest Rally in Azad Maidan this past sunday. The turn-out , I would say, was passable, definitely not overwhelming, comprising predominantly of students from various Mumbai colleges. But what surprised me was the lack of focus and sheer fervor. The sight that met my eyes was a large group of students lounging patiently on the ground, some even taking care to spread newspapers so as not to soil their kurtas. And the orator from a group called Youth for Equality which was organising the rally, was directing a barrage of heated but irrelevant arguments at the microphone. I must admit, though, that the organising was decently done, with potable water and postcards (for messages to the President of India) being handed out to all present.
There were the usual placards and witty oneliners being held up for good measure. And intermittent bouts of applause at a rare break in the orator's stream of words. He seemed rather handy with some figures about money collected through the Education Cess and the number of primary schools that could be built by it, the humble beginnings of Arjun Singh and the multiple crores in his Swiss Bank accounts.
Somehow, he seemed to be missing the point. Was this whole debate about the vagaries of a corrupt politician? Yes, corruption and politicians amassing public wealth in their personal coffers is a matter of discussion and public outcry. But at this stage, what the youth need to be reminded about are the following:
1. That the concept of "Other Backward Castes" has been created and nurtured as a political votebank and nothing else.
2. That the new 27% quota will take away 40000 seats in premier institutes (out of which 13500 are in Delhi University alone) from meritorious students.
3. That no Government should increase medical seats and create armies of people who suffix their names with Dr. but don't know how to cure a disease.
4. That deserving students who's futures are crushed by political reasoning, will form part of the brain drain and make another country richer. Then all we will be left with are people who've failed their matriculation but graduated from an IIT.
5. And most importantly, the barometer of professional success is not just a medical or an engineering degree. This country needs enterpreneurs to create and nuture businesses, which will lead to wealth and employment creation at a much more widespread level. The section of society which the Government aims to "help" through quotas would not want to invest lakhs in formal higher education. What they need is sound primary education and assistance in creating businesses as well as more employment opportunities.
But these are rational arguments and no political leader today has the will to put across such an argument at an election campaign. That would be treading unchartered territory and would not lend itself to incendiary election speeches.
Long Live Democracy.
1. The Bloody Breed of Blasted Bai's
2. The Anti-Reservation controversy and where that seems to be headed.
Well, now you see. The Titans are indeed clashing. At this point, the social consciousness in me is emerging victorious. And maybe this will turn out to be another of those 'win-win' solutions because sooner or later the BBB Bai will get her share of dubious honor on my blog.
So on with Point 2: Thats what this blog is really about.
I went for the Anti-Reservation Protest Rally in Azad Maidan this past sunday. The turn-out , I would say, was passable, definitely not overwhelming, comprising predominantly of students from various Mumbai colleges. But what surprised me was the lack of focus and sheer fervor. The sight that met my eyes was a large group of students lounging patiently on the ground, some even taking care to spread newspapers so as not to soil their kurtas. And the orator from a group called Youth for Equality which was organising the rally, was directing a barrage of heated but irrelevant arguments at the microphone. I must admit, though, that the organising was decently done, with potable water and postcards (for messages to the President of India) being handed out to all present.
There were the usual placards and witty oneliners being held up for good measure. And intermittent bouts of applause at a rare break in the orator's stream of words. He seemed rather handy with some figures about money collected through the Education Cess and the number of primary schools that could be built by it, the humble beginnings of Arjun Singh and the multiple crores in his Swiss Bank accounts.
Somehow, he seemed to be missing the point. Was this whole debate about the vagaries of a corrupt politician? Yes, corruption and politicians amassing public wealth in their personal coffers is a matter of discussion and public outcry. But at this stage, what the youth need to be reminded about are the following:
1. That the concept of "Other Backward Castes" has been created and nurtured as a political votebank and nothing else.
2. That the new 27% quota will take away 40000 seats in premier institutes (out of which 13500 are in Delhi University alone) from meritorious students.
3. That no Government should increase medical seats and create armies of people who suffix their names with Dr. but don't know how to cure a disease.
4. That deserving students who's futures are crushed by political reasoning, will form part of the brain drain and make another country richer. Then all we will be left with are people who've failed their matriculation but graduated from an IIT.
5. And most importantly, the barometer of professional success is not just a medical or an engineering degree. This country needs enterpreneurs to create and nuture businesses, which will lead to wealth and employment creation at a much more widespread level. The section of society which the Government aims to "help" through quotas would not want to invest lakhs in formal higher education. What they need is sound primary education and assistance in creating businesses as well as more employment opportunities.
But these are rational arguments and no political leader today has the will to put across such an argument at an election campaign. That would be treading unchartered territory and would not lend itself to incendiary election speeches.
Long Live Democracy.
posted by Starship Enterprise at 12:41 AM
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