As Long as Privilege Exists, Reservation Must Exist | Sunit Singh

Rethinking the Rationale for Caste-based Reservation

Reservation is one of the longest and most emotional debates in India. In a sociology classroom I attended, we were discussing caste in India. Students came from diverse regions, social backgrounds, and castes. Almost everyone agreed on one thing: caste has been a form of oppression. Even those who said caste is disappearing admitted that at some point in history, caste was an oppressive system. Everyone accepted that lower castes were suppressed for centuries, and in many ways, this suppression continues even today.

But the moment the discussion shifted to the reservation, the mood of the class changed completely. Except for a few, almost everyone began to speak against it. Their arguments came very confidently, but when I listened closely, I noticed a big gap in their understanding. Many people in India today do not understand the rationale behind reservations. Almost every day, I hear people saying,