This story is about four friends studying together and having a common dream of becoming doctors. Ram Sharma, belonged to an average middle class family and an ace student, always a topper in studies. Hari Singh, the only son of an IPS officer was an average student. Apart from studies he had a passion for photography. Mahender again a brilliant student and son of an IAS officer. Ravi a mediocre student and son of a clerk. Mahender and Ravi both belonged to the reserved castes. All the four became very close friends.  They were studying hard to achieve their goal.

The day of the trial came and they wrote the entrance exams. Finally after anxious waiting the final results were announced. Mahender as expected came out with flying colors, with 95% marks his seat was secure for pursuing medical studies. Ravi scored 50% but he was also selected since he had applied under the quota for reserved castes. Both were very happy seeing themselves having cleared the first and most important hurdle towards fulfilling their dreams.

To everyone’s shock Ram Sharma did not get through in spite of securing 90% in the entrance exams. The last cut off for regular caste students was 91%.  He missed his dream by a mere 1%.  Hari Singh stood no chance of getting through with his final scores of 75%. He knew his capability and was not very upset. He had his backup plan of pursuing professional photography. But for Ram Sharma it was as if he had lost everything. Not only he but his family had been living the dream of seeing him as a doctor and spending their entire savings on his studies.  

Ram did not know how to face his family now. He left college for home at 3:00 pm. His friends could understand the mental state of Ram so they decided to go to his house to be with in this dark hour.  They reached Ram’s house around 8:00 pm and to their surprise they found out that he had not reached home … they got worried and started searching for Ram at all the places he could have gone.  At 10:00 pm they got the shocking news Ram’S Dead … he had committed suicide. 

In a few years Mahender with his hard work became one of the topmost Heart Surgeons of the country.  Ravi on the other hand barely got through his M.B.B.S.  He could hardly understand what he was doing. He started his professional practice near his house but was not successful. The people who knew him well would not dare to take treatment from him since they knew his capability.  Hari Singh became a renowned film photographer. 

Since independence different governments have been trying to bridge the gap between different communities of our society especially by giving reservation in professional studies and jobs to people belonging to certain castes and tribes considering that in the past these people were oppressed by the so called higher castes. Now to bring these communities at par with rest of the society a few seats are reserved in higher and professional studies and also in public jobs. But are we really getting the desired results? Are these communities doing better than before and if yes do they get the due respect they deserve? And finally if all this is happening then at what cost?

The ground reality is that the monster of casteism is still surviving in spite of the aggressive policies and claims of the government. In small cities and villages still it is considered disgraceful to befriend people from certain castes leave alone having any kind of family relationship with them. If this is reality then where did we go wrong?  Why doesn’t the government change its approach to create more equality among all the citizens? Mahender and Hari Singh approached the member of Parliament from their district and briefed him about the death of their friend and requested him to abolish the reservation system. The reply that they received shocked them, “We understand that opportunities should be provided equally to every citizen irrespective of his caste and color.  But the reserved class people are a big vote bank for us and if we abolish the reservation system we will loose the very next elections. To secure our profession we not only have to retain the reservation system but also to increase our vote bank we have to bring new communities under the quota regime."

The policy of reservation has not been able to bridge the gap between different communities. Rather it has increased the hatred and enemosity. Jobs are given to those people who are not eligible if they have to equally compete. Hence they are not able to perform even when they get selected.  On the other hand those from regular communities who deserve and are competent do not get through and end up hating the reserved class people.

The reservation system itself tends to disgrace the members of these castes and communities. Giving reservation to a certain community of people is like insulting them by openly declaring that we understand and accept that the people of this community are incompetent and without the crèches of Reservation system they don’t stand a chance to get selected.

Their is an old saying " If you want to feed someone for lifetime teach him how to do fishing and if you want to keep someone dependent on you for lifetime then feed him with your hands." Our government seems to be following the latter part of the saying. Instead of giving the special communities reservation in professional study courses and jobs, the government should strive to provide tools to these communities to make them capable to compete equally with the world. The children of these communities should be provided compulsory elementary education. They should be given financial and other incentives for studying. The members of these communities should be provided counseling to convince them to promote their children to study. Deserving students from these communities who get selected for professional courses should be provided financial assistance. But the selection process for any professional study courses and jobs must provide equal opportunities to all the citizens irrespective of their community, caste or color. A healthy and fair competition can only ensure respect and equality for the reserved class communities. The members of these communities should themselves approach the government and demand abolishing of this undemocratic and disgraceful system. 

Only they can say “I’m not incompetent.  I do not need reservation.”