By Dr L.S. Madhava Rao
The bells are ringing with reservation sound in more than one area in a stinking regularity. Appleby, Gorwala and other personnel management experts would have felt very sorry on the growing inefficiency and lethargy that has crept in the realm of public administration, which remain incurable for the moment because of the continued reservation policy adumbrated by Dr Ambedkar for a limited period. A concession that was considered to be a temporary phase has now not only struck deep roots but is also spreading its roots in other castes and in other areas of management of labour and employment. As of now, the SC, ST, OBC, handicapped, ex-servicemen and sports quota takes away a major chunk of employment in the government sector. But now a demand is being made for a share on caste basis in private sector too. The early propounders of the novel idea were the late Sitaram Kesari, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, Sushri Mayawati and Shri Mulayam Singh, who all want, not only reservation of jobs in private sector, but also reservation to be extended to the minority community, especially Muslims. To this list of personalities, a new votary is added, who is none other than the former President of India, Hon?ble K.R. Narayanan, who belongs to a Dalit community.
In this frenzy for a reservation policy, there is paralysis by analysis?the unkindest axe falls on the economically poor Brahmin community. They are a hard working, small community renowned for their intelligence, surviving by their dint of merit, diligence and honesty through ages. The plight of some Brahmins is of horrifying magnitude.
Last year there was a meeting of SC and ST Members of Parliament addressed by the then Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee. He opined that non-reservation of posts in private sectors for SCs and STs amounted to discrimination, which was not correct. The protagonists of reservation may advocate reservation for minorities too. Thank God, a Central law has yet not been passed.
Of late, multinational corporations are being set up with huge financial inputs in software and industrial sectors under the private entrepreneur-ship category. These companies may develop second thoughts. The flow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) may get retarded. MNCs work with great efficiency, skill and promptness to deliver the goods, as they would like to enter the world competitiveness to the satisfaction of their customers. Their efforts are directed at serving customers, developing new products and making profit. The recruited persons happen to be of high calibre and skill and meritorious in the strict sense of the terms and are accordingly paid fat salaries. The management adopts policies to hire-and-fire and, more often than not, to award cash incentives recognising their efficient services.
