Reading most of the posts above, we can see that there is a wide acceptance on Jatland that reservation should be, if at all, based on economic status and not cast. Others have reasoned that reservation of any kind would undermine the competitiveness and hence our (India's) growth, so should be abolished in totality.
Yes, agreed, this is a very good and progressive thinking. However, all these are very idealist things far from existing situation. There being far from reality and non-practicableness brings some questions.
Are we doing anything to achieve these goals?
Are we taking even a minute step at ground level towards this goal?
And the more important one, can we at present, practically do even a little, if at all, to achieve these?
My honest answer to all these would be a clear "No". So reservation, based on cast, would stay, at least for near foreseeable future.
Now coming to the questions raised here on the core issue.
Is the Jat's demand of reservation legitimate?
Do Jat's need support for upliftment and thus growth?
Well, first one is easy, it is quite legitimate. When other communities demand were met, why shouldn't our's. Reservation has neither been abolished nor it's cast base been altered.
The second one is again quite logical, Jat being basically a farming community is finding more and more difficult to compete in the job market, both because of shrinking job opportunities and more and more lagging behind in resources to compete. Let me explain this.
Conceive an image of a farmer and then look at his/her daily life, daily chores and how he/she makes a living. Put yourself in that environment and then compare it with your environment. Don't you find him/her not only lack in the financial and infrastructural resources but also the time and health (peace of mind and a balanced diet) resources to compete? Being short of money, a farmer is forced to live on other resources. A farmer has to keep a domestic animal to feed the family - in turn it takes time and effort to keep and feed that animal. The farming itself is tiring and time taking that it becomes natural for a farmer to take help from children.
Contrast this with a city family, where people actually go to the extent of quieting their jobs for nurturing their kids. Parents doing everything they can to get them admitted to best schools. Mothers awaking whole night so that kid's can study comfortably. How far do you see a farmer's family from all this? So they do need support, be it facilities or privileges(reservation)?
Since farming being a backbone (without which cities can not exist) of this country, it makes good sense to give privileges to them for their upliftment. Without uplifting/strengthening this backbone, the country would not be able to sustain growth.
The other point is that, Jat being historically being mainly farmers/fighters have beliefs and values which makes them leaders, doers, fighters but servants (job seekers). It is his this 'him', 'self', 'ego' that makes him speak, stand up against his colleges/bosses in the instance of a perceived injustice while others may keep quite. Isn't his this standing up for values making him tense and blocking his progress? Other communities like Baniyas and Pandits have certain beliefs and values which make them more suitable (on psychological front) for jobs and shops.
With farmland becoming lesser and lesser, a Jat youth is finding more and more difficult to keep pace with the growth.
Now the last one, which Amit Dabas has brought up so honestly. - Thank you Amit!!
Reservation by it's current definition is given to communities having lower social status. Wouldn't putting Jat's under the category of reservation undermine their historically high wealthy social status? Well, yes it would, but do we really have that high wealth at ground level? Isn't this high wealth social status just only our perception? Jaat aaj baaj to raha hai par kya woh under se thotha nahin hota ja raha?
So is my self-esteem more important then the upliftment of my bother's and sisters? Having got a job my self, aren't I am being selfish here?
If I am not doing anything to provide any support (in terms of money/facilities) to my under-privileged community, what right do I have to oppose and hinder their efforts to get support via reservation?
