Surfers slams reservation agitation

The agitation by the Gujjars regarding granting them the Scheduled Tribe status puts the very reservation policy under the scanner now. With the stir reaching uncomfortable levels, it's time for a re-think on the policy itself.

As per the Constitution of India, the reservations were put in place only for those who were economically unable to fend for themselves.

It was implemented solely with the aim of bringing the lower strata of society at par with the rest of the populace. But now, with the emphasis being more and more on caste and community, the very purpose of reservation is being defeated. The recent stir by the Gujjars at such a large scale only reinforces that point. It only goes on to show that such agitations will only serve to fuel the fire between different communities.

It's a pity that what was conceived as a measure to facilitate the economically backward section, has ended up as a competition between communities. In the face of such deterioration, the political leaders need to revise the reservation policy and brainstorm about whether an amendment is necessary at this point of time. By Supriya Sharma