Where has Meritocracy disappeared?
Why would a legislative body deem it necessary to reserve seats for some pre-defined category of persons? Do the citizens elect representatives for such activity? The current women's reservation bill is an issue in question.
If at all, any reservation should take place while preparing the candidate lists for each constituency. Women should be encouraged to contest elections. Right from the village level to the Indian Parliament. There is nothing wrong in it. But who will win and become eligible to bag a seat in the House should be decision taken by the voters. And I am sure that our legislators are well aware of the issues involved. So why is this happening in India?
I always thought that people in Kolkata were of the intellectual type. That is they would rather lay open any political issue threadbare and debate all possible facets of it, than silently go about their own work. Today, I have discovered that that particular species of Bengalis have become extinct. Or maybe they have evolved so much in keeping with the times, that they are recognized as a different species. That's why today everyone is so busy with his own work that they have no time to reflect on what the legislators are up to.
In olden days, even trivial issues took up a fair amount of talk time over cups of coffee. Now, much larger issues go by even without a murmur being heard from anywhere.
I believe that Merit should be given a chance to come out of hiding. An amnesty should be declared so that there is no fear of an unsavory repercussion from anyone. If merit becomes a guiding star then many issues would simply not arise. Reservation being one of those. Reserving an opportunity for a person who is qualified for it by virtue of many factors, except the one that counts, namely, suitability for the position through his own merit, will only escalate problems.
What do Kolkatans have to say to this?
If at all, any reservation should take place while preparing the candidate lists for each constituency. Women should be encouraged to contest elections. Right from the village level to the Indian Parliament. There is nothing wrong in it. But who will win and become eligible to bag a seat in the House should be decision taken by the voters. And I am sure that our legislators are well aware of the issues involved. So why is this happening in India?
I always thought that people in Kolkata were of the intellectual type. That is they would rather lay open any political issue threadbare and debate all possible facets of it, than silently go about their own work. Today, I have discovered that that particular species of Bengalis have become extinct. Or maybe they have evolved so much in keeping with the times, that they are recognized as a different species. That's why today everyone is so busy with his own work that they have no time to reflect on what the legislators are up to.
In olden days, even trivial issues took up a fair amount of talk time over cups of coffee. Now, much larger issues go by even without a murmur being heard from anywhere.
I believe that Merit should be given a chance to come out of hiding. An amnesty should be declared so that there is no fear of an unsavory repercussion from anyone. If merit becomes a guiding star then many issues would simply not arise. Reservation being one of those. Reserving an opportunity for a person who is qualified for it by virtue of many factors, except the one that counts, namely, suitability for the position through his own merit, will only escalate problems.
What do Kolkatans have to say to this?
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