‘Dalit’ Card
   Date :27-Aug-2024

editorial
 
THE demand of Congress leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi to include reservation for ‘Dalit’ candidates in the annual Miss India contest is nothing but a stupid stretching of the concept to ridiculous extent. The core idea of positive social affirmation -- quota-based -- is conceptually a good addition to the thought of social justice. In practical politics, however, that concept is creating havoc in every sense of the term, in the process upsetting a semblance of balance in larger Indian social eco-system. Against this background, Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s demand for a ‘Dalit’ quota in the annual Miss India pageant appears to be deliberately-planned disruption in the current order with no specific purpose in sight, but with only a vague and violent idea as a trigger. Mr. Rahul Gandhi should have thought a thundered times before pushing such a demand that does not seem to have a start or an end. In other words, the very idea is nothing but a political ploy of a cheap kind. That Mr. Rahul Gandhi has again been described as ‘Bal Buddhi’ by Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mr. Kiren Rijiju, is quite in tune with what most common Indians think about Mr. Rahul Gandhi.
 
True, the Congress party under Mr. Rahul Gandhi has registered victories in bigger numbers of parliamentary seats in the Lok Sabha election last summer. That improved electoral performance seems to have given Mr. Rahul Gandhi an extra dose of confidence about his increased popularity. It is out of that false sense of importance that Mr. Rahul Gandhi pushing forward wayward ideas that lack sense. It is, of course, a good idea that people from all social segments must get opportunities in every possible field. But when a good idea is stretched to such ridiculous extent, then it does not stop anywhere and goes on and on to destroy the social system for which the promoter may have no remorse. This is the point that hurts most. Though he has been described as ‘Bal Buddhi’ by some segments of the political community, Mr. Rahul Gandhi may not be the actual fit for the sobriquet.
 
It is clear that he working to a purpose and is brandishing the ‘Dalit’ or caste card to his own political benefit. His insistence of caste-based social survey of the Indian population is a case in point here. But such a man has strong objection to a ruling party Member of Parliament asking him his caste. Means, on one hand, Mr. Rahul Gandhi hates to be asked his caste, but on the other hand, he keep playing the caste card most brazenly -- without qualms of conscience. This is, of course, divisive politics that is aimed at creating wider social chasms that will be difficult to be bridged. Yet, Mr. Gandhi and his political cohorts are brazen about it and offer no justification for their conduct and thought. This is strange, but true and effective to some extent in current Indian political situation. Let alone the political nature of the demand, it is obvious that there are certain fields where caste has no role to play, given their very nature, like beauty pageants, like Armed Forces, like scientific research ... and a few others. No body ever minds that simply because everybody knows that the nature of such fields is truly secular in form and content. Futile, therefore, it is to ask for a caste-based reservation in such fields. Mr. Rahul Gandhi, too, is conscious of this reality. Yet, he has made the demand -- with a clever idea of touching a hornet’s nest and creating a social unrest of whatever intensity. It is time for him to think more rationally and restrict his own political whims and fancies in larger interest.