Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

OBC bill

This refers to the passage of the bill granting 27 per cent reservation to OBCs in Central educational institutions by the Lok Sabha. The reservation-centric approach to uplift the backward should be redefined to suit modern times. The one-dimensional approach of successive governments has resulted in the emergence of haves within the group of have-nots, with the former getting the lion's share at the cost of the deprived section.

Amandeep Samrao,
Patiala

The creamy layer of the OBCs is among the most powerful in India. Those belonging to it are found in politics, business, education, and the media. No wonder then the Lok Sabha has passed the bill unanimously.

V.S. Ganeshan,
Bangalore

When two OBC candidates compete, does not the one who is more socially and economically backward deserve preference? If there are no eligible candidates from the non-creamy layer, those belonging to the creamy layer can be considered. Why are our politicians so vehemently opposed to such a fair criterion? The truly deserving suffer in the bargain.

I.S. Kanthimathinathan,
Tirunelveli

I remember reading a letter in these columns about 20 years ago, written by a woman who lamented that her son who had scored a high percentage of marks had been denied a seat in a professional course while those with lesser marks had been admitted, thanks to reservation. She argued that if two plants did not show the equal amount of growth, there were two ways of addressing the problem. One was to provide extra nutrients to the plant that did not grow fast enough and the other was to cut the healthy plant to match the size of the other. By passing the OBC bill unanimously, the Lok Sabha has, in no uncertain terms, opted for the second course.

T.D.P. Ray Varma,
Vijayawada

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