Reservations Based On Caste And Religion Is Dangerous

I have always believed that identification of people by caste and religion sets in a very strong divide in the society. These man made identifiers are indelible and remain labeled through out the lives of people. We all are human. We have the same type of blood, flesh and bones. Then, why are we different from each other. Why should one look down on the other. The world is a division of countries. How have these countries formed and how do they remain divided? Can these countries ever unite as one...? Never!. This is because I am an Indian, XYZ is a Pakistani, ABC is an American etc, etc. Here is a very strong example of division of the human race. From birth an individual is identified by the country he is born in. This division can not be undone. And…. neither am I advocating the undoing of this division here in this post. India is different from many countries because of its multi-lingual, multi-religion and multi-caste society. We have been made to identify ourselves based on our caste, religion and language from our birth. When we go to school or a college, an application is filled up where we enter our caste and religion. While in the metropolitan cities and in a well to do society, the caste and religion of an individual is just on paper and does not carry weight in disturbing their relationship. However, in many villages and towns, these play a very negative role in separating one section from the other. After India gained Independence, most of the leaders had a vision to create a harmonious India. An India….where every religion and caste lived in unison. However the strategy adopted from then on, only has darkened the line of divide with every passing year. Unless we stop identifying ourselves based on castes and religion, this divide is going to get thicker and thicker. Tomorrow may be too late and division of a country because of these petty indelible identifiers is a dangerous possibility. Bold steps need to be taken. The government needs to immediately remove these identifiers in all applications and forms. We must go for individualistic identification of people rather than communal. Reservations need to be there, not based on caste or religion but on the economic status of an individual. Identifying an individual based on his economic status will not cause a divide, because he is poor today and tomorrow he will be affluent. This identifier is not permanent. Let us aim to eradicate poverty. Let us aim to provide education to each and every Indian. Let us aim to see that every Indian gets his three meals, clothing, housing and Medicare. The government needs to look holistically and with a long term perspective into all these aspects. Let us not create tools to divide this country to garner cheap votes. Let us make a strong united India.