The UPA government has exposed itself as being an utter failure so often that it is fast becoming habitual. One wonders, nay, one is certain that this isn’t the last of their harebrained–and dangerously selfish–schemes devised in the name of uplifting the poor, helping the minorities–which always means pandering to the Muslim votebank–and ensuring “social justice,” which is the subject of this post.

One dreaded “Reservation” word is enough to cleave the whole nation against itself. So we have students taking to streets instead of sitting in classes–classmates pitted against classmates. Our Mass Uplifters seem to be content with watching the grand spectacle; this reminds me, albeit perversely, of Shakespeare, as flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport.

Just before His Educational Eminence, Arjun Singh announced this divisive move, other Reservation champions in the Manmohan Singh government had already threatened to unleash Reservations in the private sector. Thanks to people like Azim Premji, this move has been thwarted.

For now.

Amid opposition from the private sector to reserving jobs for SCs and STs, the Government on Tuesday said it will not impose quotas on India Inc, but only wanted more “affirmative action” from the industry for the socially underprivileged. “Government is not talking of any enforced action for the industry that would be run down your throats,” Minister of State of Commerce and Industry Ashwini Kumar said at a CII conference for the specially abled people here.

Cut back to some history.

Early in post-independent India, economic–also political and social–policies beginning with Nehru were manifestly designed for this very purpose: affirmative action to bring the disadvantaged sections on par with the mainstream. In all their wisdom, they set about implementing this vision by enlarging an already-bloated bureaucracy. We could perhaps forgive this if the bureaucracy had worked. But then, our political class squandered away every opportunity they got to realize this purpose till such time that India was forced to liberalize: 1989 (was it ‘88?) was a watershed year in post-independent India’s economic history.

Liberalization as it currently stands is not enough; the Indian entrepreneur is still shackled with a corrupt and inefficient bureaucracy with a million forms to fill in. That money is pouring in despite this and other hurdles counts among several wonders of the world.

And now, by trying to force Reservations down the private sector’s collective throats, the government probably wants to (re)herald the ugly days of socialism. This is the reasonable conclusion one can derive looking at a 40+ year track record of implementing Reservations. The Commerce Minister’s statement of “…it will not impose quotas on India Inc, but only wanted more “affirmative action” from the industry for the socially underprivileged” rings insincere; it is the case of sour grapes, a decision to retreat in the face of powerful opposition from the industry. Equally, it is a covert acceptance of the failure of the state to uplift the underprivileged sections of the country. It is also a shameful plea to feed off the private sector by thrusting this additional responsibility upon it.

Assuming the private sector takes up “social responsibility” and “affirmative action,” there’s absolutely no guarantee that the government won’t come up with another spanner to spike even this noble effort. I’m speaking of course, from its track record as well as what I’ve seen here in Bangalore. Till date, tens of corporates have submitted dozens of proposals to uplift Bangalore and the state of Karnataka. Some have been implemented pretty tardily, others left to gather dust and still others blocked by these very affirmative-action seekers in the government. Again, those implemented tardily have been stopped because our “leaders” were busy settling political scores.

Call me an utter pessimist but I’m unable to see any other conclusion because political will exists only to perpetuate self interest.

Cross-posted in Desicritics.