Couple of hours later, I decided to check on my cousin. The call left me surprised and shocked. It was hard for me to believe that NH-8 was closed due to mob violence. The Gujjar community in Rajasthan was protesting and demanding that they be included in the SC/ST quota. The land famous for its sand, turbans and colorful culture was in news for all the wrong reasons. And ever since, more than a dozen people have lost their lives in various incidents of violence, interstate transport has been adversely affected; public property damaged and daily life disrupted. Countless students were left stranded at the Kota railway station and bus-stands, failing in their desperate attempts to somehow reach Delhi and write the AIIMS entrance exam. These students were not of any particular caste but they were harried students with dreams of curing this country and it's men of many ailments.
Rajasthan still stares bleakly at some disturbing and dark figures. The state is still amongst those with low male to female ratio. Female foeticide, child marriage and the pardha system are still prevalent practices. Primary education is still a fantasy in many remote parts of the state. Women continue to walk miles to fetch water in the parched landscape. Casteism and superstition continue to ruin countless lives. These problems attack all castes equally. They have been plaguing all communities alike, without prejudice. These social problems are very secular in their presence; unlike the sectarian solutions our politicians offer.
Rather than offering holistic and logical solutions, the various governments decided to give casteist solutions to seemingly similar problems. Instead of improving the primary education infrastructure, the government decided to offer reservation on the basis of caste. The BJP government decided to include Jats in the OBC quota in Rajasthan. The criteria of deciding this lot as 'deserving' was clearly based on vote bank. To woo a large and potential vote bank the politicians decided to appease Jats and thus invited the wrath of the Gujjars, who now naturally feel left behind (read- backward).
I don't see why the BJP or the Raje govt. is taken by surprise. This was the most natural fallout. Now the way out seems daunting. Politicians are finding themselves caught in their own trap. The win-win situation of caste based campaigns is suddenly starting to back fire. They saw caste as the fastest and easiest way to power. But these shortcuts are not helping the politicians in their ulterior motive of coming to power any more.
Treating sectarian politics as a foundation is like stepping on a banana peel. You will fall flat on your face. A secular country needs to be ruled secularly. Six decades back the Britishers were thrown out of the country for their policy of divide and rule. Major political parties in the country today are caught in a similar quagmire. From Mulayum-Mayawati in UP, Thackeray in Maharashtra, Modi in Gujarat to Raje in Rajasthan; caste politics will meet the dust.
At her first public appearance after the recent violence, Vasundhara Raje was not her charismatic royal self. She looked parched and her oasis is no where in sight.
The desert storm leaves a landscape totally changed. This one threatens to be no different. It will change the course of politics not only in Rajasthan, but it will hopefully see the genesis of a more substantial form of politics which will offer working, viable, logical and long term solutions for the benefit of both the voter and the campaigner.
(Tejaswi is a Principal Correspondent with Business Today) first published:June 01, 2007, 12:21 ISTlast updated:June 01, 2007, 12:21 IST
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Being a native of Rajasthan, I make numerous weekend trips to the pink city. Wrap work early on the weekend, throw denim and two tops in a handbag and my perfect weekend is on. But the scorching summer months see a reverse migration. Cousins drop in to escape the sun and soak in the summer fashion at 'Janpath' and 'Dilli Haat'. After one such trip I saw my cousin off at Bikaner house (the place from where buses leave for Jaipur). Putting her safely in a Volvo, I headed to office and got busy with my regular submissions (in news our deadlines are always over yesterday).
Couple of hours later, I decided to check on my cousin. The call left me surprised and shocked. It was hard for me to believe that NH-8 was closed due to mob violence. The Gujjar community in Rajasthan was protesting and demanding that they be included in the SC/ST quota. The land famous for its sand, turbans and colorful culture was in news for all the wrong reasons. And ever since, more than a dozen people have lost their lives in various incidents of violence, interstate transport has been adversely affected; public property damaged and daily life disrupted. Countless students were left stranded at the Kota railway station and bus-stands, failing in their desperate attempts to somehow reach Delhi and write the AIIMS entrance exam. These students were not of any particular caste but they were harried students with dreams of curing this country and it's men of many ailments.
Rajasthan still stares bleakly at some disturbing and dark figures. The state is still amongst those with low male to female ratio. Female foeticide, child marriage and the pardha system are still prevalent practices. Primary education is still a fantasy in many remote parts of the state. Women continue to walk miles to fetch water in the parched landscape. Casteism and superstition continue to ruin countless lives. These problems attack all castes equally. They have been plaguing all communities alike, without prejudice. These social problems are very secular in their presence; unlike the sectarian solutions our politicians offer.
Rather than offering holistic and logical solutions, the various governments decided to give casteist solutions to seemingly similar problems. Instead of improving the primary education infrastructure, the government decided to offer reservation on the basis of caste. The BJP government decided to include Jats in the OBC quota in Rajasthan. The criteria of deciding this lot as 'deserving' was clearly based on vote bank. To woo a large and potential vote bank the politicians decided to appease Jats and thus invited the wrath of the Gujjars, who now naturally feel left behind (read- backward).
I don't see why the BJP or the Raje govt. is taken by surprise. This was the most natural fallout. Now the way out seems daunting. Politicians are finding themselves caught in their own trap. The win-win situation of caste based campaigns is suddenly starting to back fire. They saw caste as the fastest and easiest way to power. But these shortcuts are not helping the politicians in their ulterior motive of coming to power any more.
Treating sectarian politics as a foundation is like stepping on a banana peel. You will fall flat on your face. A secular country needs to be ruled secularly. Six decades back the Britishers were thrown out of the country for their policy of divide and rule. Major political parties in the country today are caught in a similar quagmire. From Mulayum-Mayawati in UP, Thackeray in Maharashtra, Modi in Gujarat to Raje in Rajasthan; caste politics will meet the dust.
At her first public appearance after the recent violence, Vasundhara Raje was not her charismatic royal self. She looked parched and her oasis is no where in sight.
The desert storm leaves a landscape totally changed. This one threatens to be no different. It will change the course of politics not only in Rajasthan, but it will hopefully see the genesis of a more substantial form of politics which will offer working, viable, logical and long term solutions for the benefit of both the voter and the campaigner.
(Tejaswi is a Principal Correspondent with Business Today)
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