Mandal Commission

I vividly remember the Mandal Commission days mainly because they marked an unending vacation from school.
As a Class VIII student in Dehra Dun, I remember going to school on several mornings only to be turned back by the principal who would be standing on the school’s main gate speaking to a bunch of boys holding placards. After refusing to close school for several days, the principal had to announce that school would reopen only after the Mandal Commission matter was settled.
It was during this time that I first saw riots breaking out in the otherwise peaceful Doon valley. Memories of the last riots, after India Gandhi’s assassination, were vague as I was in Class III then. The only image of those riots that stayed with me was that of my classmate who came to school bare feet and in a torn dress. Her father (a sardar) had lost his shop, house and the entire family’s belongings to the riots.
But, the riots during the Mandal Commission are still fresh in my mind. I remember watching news reports on Doordarshan that always mentioned the rioting in this part and that part but never ever showed images. I saw the first images of the riots in New Delhi on NewsTrack, an extremely popular news video then that gave viewers uncensored versions of stories. Nothing like `breaking news’ and `news flash’ that is the norm across all news channels now but news, simply told.
On this video, which sold like hot cakes during the Mandal Commission, I saw images of boys being brutally caned just because they had staged a dharna outside the then PM V.P Singh’s house. Then I remember Rajeev Goswami immolating himself. I remember the police dragging a boy by his arm, the one where he had a bullet injury. I clearly remember his arm dangling with a piece of tissue.
There were heated debates everywhere I went to those days. People were upset with the government enforcing Mandal. There were discussions on merit vs quota at my friend’s house. At my place, we didn’t spend a single evening without Baba, my grandfather, leading a discussion on the demerits of reservation.
With time, I too formed an opinion. I simply could not agree with someone getting admission merely because of his or her caste. Didn’t the Mandal issue divide the society more than any caste system would have? It was during this time, I remember reading a letter in one of the newspapers where a girl had recounted how her friends started treating her differently, when they found out that she was from the SC/ST quota. A meritorious student, the girl had written it had offended her no end to be looked down upon because her friends wrongly assumed that she got a seat in the college because of her caste.
I believe that reservation is important in a class-divided country like ours. But then, the reservation too has to be class and not caste-based.
Let the government reserve seats for financially backward. Let the government support those who go to night schools and work during the day and help them get admissions into the best colleges. Let the government first make school education for all a reality. Let the government first open more secondary and higher schools. Let the government then implement reservation policy for these deserving candidates.