Divided India

This post is closer to home and yet friends from other countries may find the subject, references and concepts intriguing. I choose to use the word class instead of any other. I don't claim to understand the gravity of this subject fully, and neither do I claim that my thoughts are any authority on the subject. This is just what I think and feel at this moment and what I understood from my reading and spiritual questioning.

(1) At its core, the concept of class is about the most appropriate temporary function in ones present lifetime, which is most suited to eventually help lead one towards the common universal permanent destination of spiritual enlightenment or liberation, called Mukti. It all starts with a vedic philosophical concept about societal division of labour basis ones natural disposition and many years of practising one's craft. In this context, the concept of choice is interesting. It has a deeper spiritual context that may transcend the material and analytical discussion intended here. It can be said that by and large it is ones guna (virtue) and karma (action and its result), within the bounds of Dharma or righteous conduct, that decides the class that one fits most aptly in. This wasn't meant to be a stagnant system, rather a fluid self-correcting one where groups of classes moved along a metaphorical horizontal (note the word, i.e. not vertical or hierarchical) axis ever-evolving into their most apt temporary station in life. Each class may have an edge over others in a specific context, but no class has absolute power in all walks of life. As per most dharmic scholars, class was never meant to be something that is absolutely and necessarily passed on from one generation to another, although this may be likely. Our ancient texts are filled with examples of individuals traversing across the metaphorical horizontal class axis based on their individual interest and skill, irrespective of their parents class. Whilst the ideal societal construct may certainly be an ever-evolving concept, progressive societies and civilisations continually reform themselves. We have reason to believe that our ancestors in India did this while they could. Decadence over time and especially exacerbated by thousand years of foreign invasions contributed to the putrefaction of that evolving system into the abyss of misuse. In today's India, years of exploit as well as misrepresentation of the original philosophy, the concept of class unfortunately creates barriers. The privileged and underprivileged classes of today's India is the manifestation of years of misdeeds of the few who gamed and gained from the status-quo. And this was across classes.

(2) The colonial rulers manipulative tinkering of existing societal systems, that were already under strain due to stagnancy during centuries of prior foreign rule, amplified systemic injustices towards the less privileged classes by some of those who found themselves in the privileged classes. They had been denied, simply put, the dignity of life. They had been burdened with sanctions and segregation in every walk of life. None of these heinous practices have anything to do with ancient Indian spirituality. They are simply the repugnant remnants of ignorance and the need for power and control of some people from the privileged classes. Whilst our society has evolved positively over the years, yet there are cases of practices such as social segregation even today. Regrettably significant percentage of the educated population, across all classes, are still chained by their own spiritual and intellectual ignorance.

(3) It must be accepted that centuries of hurt and pain cannot simply be brushed aside. And more importantly what cannot be brushed aside is the often unspoken twinge that a child, teenager or adult faces due to the impact of the degeneration of the societal system. There is a generational cost that society at large has to pay for that twinge. And yet, ironically many in the so called privileged classes have also found themselves worse off due to the degeneration of the societal system. Thus society as a whole has to pay for the past misdeeds of a few. Politically and personally to millions of Indians this cost has several names.

(4) I am not an expert on work and achievements of the learned scholars who crafted the Indian constitution and worked towards bringing parity in the Indian society. Those that have been less privileged in the name of class must have the opportunity to compete fairly with those that haven't been burdened with these sanctions.

(5) Constitutionally granted quota based affirmative action in independent India is a way to constitutionally correct the past wrongs. In this context, this constitutional affirmative action brings about strong reactions from all concerned. Sometimes there aren't any easy answers. I restrict my point only to quota based affirmative action in primary, secondary and university level education. Not to professional programs, employment, and employment progressions. The focus is on equal opportunities. To those that argue that only economic strength should be the criteria for this action, I submit that whilst economically underprivileged individuals face huge challenges but those who also find themselves in the so called underprivileged classes especially in rural India face many times the challenge. Segregation and sanctions in social acceptability are only some of the practical challenges, but the emotional challenges are too grave to be accounted for. This constitutional affirmative action is that individuals' one chance at crossing over. But by no means am I arguing that those who are economically backward but find themselves in the so called privileged classes should suffer. Recent action by Government of India towards this, on Economic Affirmative Action, was much needed. It has been appreciated by all sections of society.

(6) In my view, quota based affirmative action, should be a limited period ticket. This could be for an individual or a group ticket for the family. Once availed up to a certain period, and the much deserved parity is achieved to some extent, it cannot be continually reissued. Thereafter, wouldn't it be better if others who need this ticket much more, even within that same sub-class, were to have access to it? Equally, I argue that there needs to be a cut-off date date after which affirmative action will become purely based on economic needs. What should this date be, 100 years after independence? As a society we must agree on this cut-off date after which simply economic affirmative action becomes available to all, with certain carve outs for those from less privileged classes that haven't had access to the ticket. Until that cut-off date is reached the individuals from underprivileged classes who have achieved some level of societal parity aided by quota based affirmative action must voluntarily discourage their progeny to avail these benefits so that maximum number of individuals from underprivileged classes have the opportunity to cross-over before the agreed cut-off date. Scholars that crafted the legalisation of such affirmative action did not intend to make this yet another episode of centuries of a new form of segregation. This limited period ticket is meant to bring parity in an otherwise inequitable society. In my view, once an individual or a family has accessed the ticket of quota based affirmative action for a couple of generations to gain university level education and employment of a certain standard and thereby have successfully crossed over, their ticket expires. Once they have access to certain necessities in life as defined by the job one holds, income, property that one or ones parents own, and other economic parameters (the creamy layer so to speak; my friends from outside of India may need to look this up), the individual or those born into the family thereafter should not have access to such affirmative action anymore. The creamy layer needs to be defined appropriately and implemented strictly. How many generations of quota based affirmative action should we assign, even after the limited period ticket has been availed multiple times and much deserved parity for that individual or family has been achieved? Are mid-level government staff, earning a middle income wage, and their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren not meant to be in the creamy layer? Do their relatively well-off urban educated children need access to quota based affirmative action? How about Revenue Commissioners, Police Inspectors, elected Politicians and bureaucrats with 7th pay commission salaries and their children? Today all of these individuals and their families access their ticket, generation after generation, in professional programs, employment and career advancement irrespective of their real need to access the ticket and without any metric to gauge whether the much deserved parity has been achieved or not. And the tragedy is that the ones who really lose are not those in the privileged classes (irrespective of their economic condition) who anyway dont have access to the quota based affirmative action, but the most marginalized and most needy within the underprivileged classes who despite having access to the ticket are simply unable to cross-over. It is because their ticket is being en-cashed again and again by the grandchildren and great grandchildren of their fellow less privileged class individuals. They voluntarily or otherwise become the nouveau privileged who game and gain from the status-quo.

(7) Finally what our society needs is Truth and Reconciliation. The sacrifice of hundreds of true leaders who shaped the Indian civilisational nation over thousands of years is at stake. Those who find themselves in the so called privileged classes must have a real sense of regret, and coming togetherness which strengthens societal bonds not the other way around. That is indeed the strength of a dharmic civilisation. Those who find themselves in the so called underprivileged classes must find it in their heart to reconcile and have the will to move forward together as one united India. The date 20??, must be the last date when class divisiveness is allowed in societal, social, or public life. Post that it must be abolished, hopefully through shedding away our ignorance but if not then by the full force of law. Across all classes. Class by itself and unique customs thereof aren't necessarily a bad thing, its class divisiveness that divides. I have a feeling that the scholars and warriors who fought for the rights of all classes will truly be happy that day. Class, based on ones skills and actions, can then truly be a peer-group unifier as well as a cumulative societal strength of a dharmic society. Just another temporary station in life, or lifetimes if you are so inclined, towards the goal of service to humanity, protection of dharma, and self-realisation! When I say we, at one level I refer to the nation of India that is Bharat, but at another level I refer to the global community. All that is noble and auspicious must thrive. We need to truly team-up in order to then perform our own individual duty effectively. Dharma.