Affirmative action?

There are significant differences between the protests against Mandal I and Mandal II and I will elaborate on it in a later post. For one thing, there is a significant increase in the use of examples from the West, specifically the U.S., in both for and against arguments. Of course this is expected, given the importance of India-U.S. ties and the improving U.S. image in India.

It is one thing to rigorously follow Western ideas (which we never really do), quite another when we try to extrapolate Western debates into our society. Take for instance the Roe vs. Wade case and the never ending debate in the U.S. about abortion rights. Imagine when we try to apply the moral judgement in this case to Indian society - indeed it can lead to extremely undesirable effects.

Quite predictably, "Affirmative Action" has found its way into the blogosphere to bolster the reservation debate. Those invoking this are doing so without understanding the full implications of it. Noted African-American scholar Thomas Sowell, like many illuminaries from the African-American community who have made it on the masis of merit alone, are vociferous opponents of a system that discredit the talented minorities. There is evidence that racial divide has increased due to blind persual of a bigoted idea.

Take for instance, the stance of the liberal party. It appears that if a minority achiever does not toe the party line, abuses will be heaped upon him/her. Colin Powell and recently Condoleezza Rice have had to face liberal ire, often in very racist terms, by the liberals - supposed cheer leaders of Affirmative Action.

A recent gem from Senator Hillary Clinton:
"When you look at the way the House of Representatives has been run it has been run like a plantation and you know what I am talking about," the New York senator told a mostly black audience at a Harlem church this week.

The plantation jibe is of course aimed at Ms. Rice. Incidentally this drew a tremendous amount of flak from the black community leaders. Likewise, when the animal activist group PETA tried to use blacks for their self-serving purpose, they were excoriated by black students.

Reservations, Quota, Affirmative Action or whatever you call it, a false ideology is bound to lead to unpredictable outcomes, often at the expense of the original intent.