While reservation was limited to Dalits, there was not much heartburn among the upper castes. But once reservation expanded up to 49.5 per cent, things got worse. It was the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations, which began the struggle for reservation in the private sector. Soon the struggle spread.The Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Association of Chamber of Commerce (ASSOCHAM) and PHD Chambers of Commerce have suddenly become active to oppose the government move on reservation in the private sector for Dalits. They had never exhibited such unity against WTO or multinationals that are detrimental to Indian businesses. The so-called upper castes dined, interacted and welcomed foreigners and invaders. But they disdained aborigines. If it were not so, a few hundred infantry from another part of the world couldn’t have subjugated India. The upper castes dislike missionaries because they improve the conditions of untouchables. Our country has been in perpetual civil war for centuries. No wonder that when justice is demanded, suddenly arguments of merit and efficiency crop up.If Indian industry was so meritocratic, why is it that they have not produced a single brand or item, which can be internationally prescribed or has become international commodity? Two years ago, Melinda Gates, wife of Bill Gates, was on a visit to Kolkata. She was escorted by government functionaries. On the third day, she sneaked out to slum areas and found abject inhuman conditions that made her so emotional that she released one billion dollars for them. So far, not a single Indian businessman has ever been so humane.Bill Gates has announced that before his death he would distribute all his assets for charitable cause except bare necessities to his children. Do we have such an example?Through affirmative action, Hispanics and African-Americans have been pulled up in business, games, art and culture for which white American brothers are to be credited more than the African-Americans and Hispanics. One of the top designers at Ford Motors is an African-American. America’s performance in the Olympics has been created significantly by African-American atheletes. In 1982, when the editors and owners of newspapers came to know that representation of African-Americans in the media was less than 2 per cent, a special effort was made to identify young girls and boys among African-Americans to train them for journalism. A survey carried out after about eight years revealed that their presence in the media had increased to about 9 per cent. Do we have such examples?Labour has been traditionally humiliated, denigrated and had been defeated in Hindu writings. Religious scriptures (shastras) always had the upper hand. Those who were superior as per religious scriptures, were respected and those who cultivated fields, built houses and performed crucial manual manual work were not given any respect. In the war between shram (labour) and shastra, the former was always defeated. In Japan and other developed countries, employees don’t boycott production rather they double it to bring about moral pressure on the management to quell their demands. Do we have such examples in India? And yet industry talks of ‘‘merit’’.
