Understanding the OBC quota

For a long time, I have been juggling with two words "OBC quota". I have been trying to understand What does it actually mean and how will it influence everybody? How would it influence the beneficiaries , disadvantaged , benefactors and the neutral class? The neutral class certainly seems to be comprising of SC/STs. And the beneficiaries, disadvantaged and benefectors may seem to be OBCs, left out Upper castes and the politicians.
I have been restraining myself to comment on this issue, still trying to understand deeper links of this phenomena.
But now I am writing whatever i have absorbed from different permutations and combinations relating each other to this issue.
Though I still feel OBC quota has too many loop holes to make it reality. OBC quota could have been great boon to this developing country by helping all those who have been left out of the growth scene.
But it certainly proved out to be an important initiative in other sense . It has made the growing class to rethink on the issue of castes and caste system and re-evaluate their stand. With only SC/ST quota in place, they have been promptly relating everything related to SC/STs or Dalits to the quota provided to them. And viceversa , everything related to reservation was used to put the blame on to the SC/STs without trying to think the cause.
And till now they have been successful in isolating a certain class on the name of reservation. Even without reservation , they would have felt uneasy in including them to the mainstream on the name of popular customs and tradition. So they were successful in implementing this ideological phrase into action  "You remain happy with your quota, We are happy and accustomed to isolating you like your previous generations but from time to time, we would blame everything on you. ". But the monotony is broken now. They have been forced to look at this issue to the extent they never ignore. Now with reservation level rising to the waist, and not feet (sc/st reservation), the mouth is shouting , yelling and growling.
The mouth would continue to utter abuses till the head realizes that it is their rising mass and volume which is making the water rise up. And if they would have not grown that much, they would have drowned in it.
Reminder: It is not the war of the poor , by the poor or for the poor. It is war of growth. The poor has long back learnt to live like benthic organism unaffected by whatever happening above him.
Only the feet of others bother him and not the level of water.
With OBC reservation, the upper class/growing class is worried of its own growth.
I agree that 50% reservation is harsh but with this kind of severity, the growing class  may realize their mistake they did'nt realize when they had 22% reservation in front. Though it was to include the part of population into the mainstream but it gave the society another reason to isolate them, but surely they can't ignore and isolate more than 50% of the population on the name of quota now. Then they were enjoying the support of majority but now majority is against them to make them realize their mistake. After the income and least cut off cap on OBC quota, it may not benefit OBCs to a great extent, but it certainly has overturned the coin in the favour of deprived and victims. Now SC/STs have got the much needed support and freedom from chains of isolation. Now they know with almost 50% population branded as reserved, the racists/casteists can't bank upon the reason of reservation to victimize them. And true skin of the racists would be visible who were previously wearing the veil called anti-reservation. Certainly, this reservation can do more good to SC/STs then thought. It is the high time that society should rethink of its inherent major problems and not neglect them to appease themselves or it might lead to their isolation. The isolation of casteists be it on the grounds of reservation or the fake ideology they support is much needed. But certainly self realization is better than any kind of isolation, punishment or reverse-discrimination. The misguided growing class has to realize that humanity has to come before anything and they can't escape after exploiting humanity on the name of false culture.
The goverment may seem to be benefiting by the votes on the name of reservation and full support by the Parliament on this issue may seem to be appeasement or vote retaining. The government has also brought unknown consequences along with it. Politics has always been based on castes and its not that politicians have asked votes on the name of OBCs or SC/STs , the politicians have always asked for votes from their own particular castes first. A reddy leader has always been going to reddy dominant villages/places, A Rajput to Rajput dominant and so and so. And no reservation be it OBC is able to change that even if you call it game of votes.
SC/STs have always been treated seperatly or call it isolated. While other people in India are either Sharmas, Gujjars, Chaudharys, Jats etc, SC/STs have always been SC/STs or dalits before that or Shudras/Ati-shudras before that.
Who knows OBC reservation might bring some integration of Indian society ? people might forget what caste he may belong to and then at that time reservation may serve a bigger purpose.  I am not saying reservation is just because of dis-integration in the society and its has the purpose to dissolve it. But, if thats possible, we would need no more caste reservation then as the castes would have been dissolved into less-disintegrated groups OBC / SC/ST and general.
But today is very different , even if we remove the reservation from the constitution, the words like SC/ST ,dalits, castes would never be removed and for the society dalits would remain dalits.
But all this could have been better if OBC quota would have served its immediate purpose in an effective way. There are many irregularities and loop holes which are needed to be considered about OBC quota, In its current form, it can be described as political quota having consequences unknown to the political class.
Currently OBC list is vague and not like SC/ST list which is quite clearly described in our constitution.
OBC list even before reservation has been plagued by the game of power and politics.
OBC refers to Other Backward Class. As it Class and not caste which many think it to be, it contains mainy different castes from different religions. Among Hindus, It primarily consists of those castes which were referred to Shudras in scriptures. They were actual peasant or working class which didn't enjoy high social status. They shouldn't be confused with the dalits or ati-shudras or outcastes. But with time, many such castes grew out of the control of social hierarchy and became very prominent and powerful. Some went on to become even rulers later in history. From past generations it has been found out that these castes were most forward in exploiting lowest castes [dalits] and exploited them more to gain more social and financial power.
The OBC list could have been refined to benefit the actual needy, it had to include only only who have been left out or more suppressed. The political, social and financial power gained by some of those castes polluted the entire classification of OBC list. They made it a sort of general list including everyone except brahmins, baniyas etc. The social , financial and political power gained by them over the period time enabled them to do so. Currently it contains many castes which historically have claimed to be superior and few castes like Ansaris of Muslims. While this list could have been well used to benefit historically disadvantaged sections like muslims and some socially degraded hindu castes, it has become an instrument to show off political power.
Surely brahmins, baniyas and others excluded from OBC list weren't the only ones to propagate and fiercely practise untouchablity and casteism in India. If this list is refined, it won't reach to the levels of 27%.
Also the reason for OBC quota by political class seems ambiguous to me. It definitely is not aimed at shaking the roots of caste system as OBCs are supposed to be higher castes. It is not aimed at providing exclusive benefit to the needy as the list is much plagued . Certainly it can serve to fill the irregularities in the distribution of resources within the country but in a vague manner.
OBC castes can never be compared to SC/ST on the economic, social or political fronts because there is no known hatred, dis concern prevailing in the society against OBCs like SC/STs ,Even OBCs consider themselves much ahead of dalits in social front, at certain places OBCs are know to have suppressed dalits than other castes. Though there is an extent of educational backwardness among them, but unlike SC/STs who were prohibited or discouraged for amassing wealth or living in the mainstream, the ancestral businesses and assets like land seem to be serving OBC generations well in many cases.
Even in political front OBCs are much ahead, the same OBC list has given many prominent leaders including former PMs and presidents.
Whatever OBC list is for, it is possible that OBCs who once favoured unruly casteist brahmins to define the caste system in India and gave a blind dimension to caste restrictions, now due to OBC reservation may provide much needed awakening of indian society, helping the un-privilidged and we will at last reach the much desired goal of social equality and re-establishment of humanity.

The well imbibed Casteism in our social structure needs to be squeezed

There are 4 ways through which people gain knowledge in life.

1. Home is the first school- unfortunately parents are the one who propogate caste discrimination to children through rituals,untouchability, eating, marriages etc.
Childrens learn from elders.
2. Our education system and books have no tangible learning information to enlighten about caste atrocity, remove caste system.
3. Religion - the so called hindu religion is based on the caste discrimination.
4. Society- which openly commits caste atrocity and it is not told as a crime for normal routine.
All the above 4 through which people gain knowledge has not imbibed any social understanding in the so called high caste about caste atrocity.
For most,only aim is to only earn money, so once money comes they may think that all needs are satisfied, cos neither theyyou suffer discrimination, atrocity or exclusion. Money is the only criter for them. But for dalits though they earn some money, they still go through this social evil.
Sc/st reservation is not based on economic status but group status. As all dalits suffer from caste discrimination whether economic well off or worse off. Dalits have reservation for protection against discrimination and social oppression which all dalits face either economically well off or worse off. Best example would be the 27,000 atrocity case registered in which more than 40% are done with the well educated dalits- Go to your local sc commision for more info as they dont put it on net.

post by Naveen Rahul

MANUSMRITI - EPIC OF CASTE SYSTEM AND CASTEISM

[MANUSMRITI, ACCORDING TO UPPER CASTE HINDUS LIKE BRAHMINS IS ONE OF HINDU'S HOLY BOOKS. SOME EVEN DESCRIBE IT AS "ULTIMATE LAW OF NATURE"]

The Manu Smriti (Sanskrit: मनुस्मृति) is a work of Hindu law and ancient Indian society. It is also known as the Laws of Manu.

Manu divides Hindus into four varnas i.e. casteism. He not only divide Hindus into four varnas, he also grades them. Besides prescribing rank and occupation Manu grants privilege to swarnas and imposes penalties on the shudras.The status of the Shudras in the Hindu society as prescribed by Manu the Law-giver and the Architect of Hindu society. There are so many Codes of the Manu Smriti against the Shudras and Women which are below:

1. For the welfare of humanity the supreme creator Brahma, gave birth to the Brahmins from his mouth, the Kshatriyas from his shoulders, the Vaishyas from his thighs and Shudras from his feet. (Manu’s code I-31,)
2. God said the duty of a Shudra is to serve the upper varnas faithfully with devotion and without grumbling. (Manu 1-91) Manu is not satisfied with this. He wants this servile status of the Shudras to be expressed in the names and surnames of persons belonging to that community. Manu says:
3. Let the first part of a Brahman’s name denote something auspicious, a Kshatriya’s be connected with power, and a Vaishyas with wealth but a Shudra’s express something contemptible. (Manu II.31)
4. The second part of a Brahmin’s name shall be a word implying happiness, of a Kshatriya’s (a word) implying protection, of a Vaishya’s a term expressive of thriving and of a Shudra’s an expression denoting service. (Manu II. 32.)
5. A hundred year old Kshatriya must treat a ten year old Brahmin boy as his father. (Manu 11-135)
6. The Brahmin should never invite persons of other varnas for food. In case, the latter begs the Brahmin for food, the Brahmin may give them some left-over. Even these left-over must be served not by the Brahmin but by his servants outside the house. (Manu II2).
7. He who instructs Shudra pupils and he whose teacher is a Shudra shall become disqualified for being invited to a shradha. (Manu III. 156.)
8. A Shudra is unfit of receive education. The upper varnas should not impart education or give advice to a Shudra.It is not necessary that the Shudra should know the laws and codes and hence need not be taught. Violators will go to as amrita hell. (Manu IV-78 to 81)
9. “Let him not dwell in a country where the rulers are Shudras.” (Manu IV. 61)
10. He must never read the Vedas in the presence of the Shudras. (Manu IV. 99.)
11. Any country, where there are no Brahmins, of where they are not happy will get devastated and destroyed. (Manu VIII-20 to 22)
12. A Brahmana who is only a Brahman by decent i.e., one who has neither studied nor performed any other act required by the Vedas may, at the king’s pleasure, interpret the law to him i.e., act as the judge, but never a Shudra (however learned he may be). (Manu VIII.20.)
13. The Kingdom of that monarch, who looks on while a Shudra settles the law, will sink low like a cow in the morass. (Manu VIII. 21.)
14. Any Brahmin, who enslaves or tries to enslave a Brahmin, is liable for a penalty of no less than 600 PANAS. A Brahmin can order a Shudra to serve him without any remuneration because the Shudra is created by Brahma to serve the Brahmins. Even if a Brahmin frees a Shudra from slavery the Shudra continue to be a slave as he is created for slavery. Nobody has the right to free him. (Manu VIII-50,56 and 59)
15. A Shudra who insults a twice born man with gross invectives shall have his tongue cut out; for he is of low origin. (Manu VIII. 270.)
16. If he mentions the names and castes of the (twice born) with contumely, an iron nail, ten fingers long, shall be thrust red hot into his mouth. (Manu VIII. 271.)
17. If a Shudra arrogantly presumes to preach religion to Brahmins, the king shall have poured burning oil in his mouth and ears. Manu VIII. 272.)
18. A Shudra who has an intercourse with a woman of the higher caste guarded or unguarded shall be punished in the following manner; if she was unguarded, he loses the offending part; if she was guarded then he should be put to death and his property confiscated.” (Manu VIII. 374.)
19. A Brahman may compel a Shudra, whether bought or unbought, to do servile work for he is created by the creator to be the slave of a Brahmana. (Manu VIII. 413.)
20. No Shudra should have property of his own, He should have nothing of his own. The existence of a wealthy Shudra is bad for the Brahmins. A Brahman may take possession of the goods of a Shudra. (ManuVIII-417 & X129)
21. A Brahman may seize without hesitation, if he be in distress for his subsistence, the goods of his Shudra. The Shudra can have only one occupation. This is one of the inexorable laws of Manu. says Manu. (Manu VIII. 417)
22. A Shudra who wants to just fill his stomach may serve a Vaishya. If he wants a permanent means of living he can serve a Kshatriya. But if he wants to go to heaven or wants higher or superior birth in the next generation he must serve a Brahmin. (ManuIX334 & 335)
23. The most sacred duty of a Shudra is to serve the Brahmins, always, reciting the words “Brahman” with utmost devotion. Such a Shudra will get salvation. Otherwise he will die a worst death and will go to the worst hell. (Manu X-121)
24. But let a (Shudra) serve Brahmans, either for the sake of heaven, or with a view to both (this life and the next) for he who is called the servant of a Brahman thereby gains all his ends. (Manu X. 122.)
25. The service of Brahmans alone is declared (to be) an excellent occupation for a Shudra for whatever else besides this he may perform will bear him no fruit. (Manu X. 123.)
26. They must allot to him out of their own family (property) a suitable maintenance, after considering his ability, his industry, and the number of those whom he is bound to support. (Manu X. 124.)


READ TRANSLATION OF MANUSMRITI BY AN OXFORD UNIVESITY PROFESSOR:


http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu.htm