Understanding quotas
The article mentions that only 200 seats are available at AIIMS per year ("The many reasons why Hardik Patel and other haters of reservations are wrong"). Let's assume that 150 seats were reserved in the institution for each of the last 60 years. That means 9,000 people would have received the benefit of this quota during this period.

Assuming that a member of the same family avails of this quota every 25 years, then how will the really deserving people in the community and/or caste get the benefits of reservation?

Even if reservations continue for a thousand years, its benefits will not reach those who deserve it. The government should introduce a system wherein only two generations can use reservation quota, following which they should move to the general category to make way for those in need. – SD Venugopal

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It was heartening to find an article that logically explains why Hardik Patel is wrong about reservations. The content wasn't aggressive enough to support reservation or to bash the anti-reservation parties. It laid out the points letting readers to decide what is correct. Much appreciated.
Hope articles like yours open the eyes and minds of people who needlessly agitate against systems that are introduced to uplift the downtrodden and the socially discriminated sects.  Swarna


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The author says that a poor Dalit is not equal to a poor Brahmin. The implication of this statement is that the author think that a poor Brahmin is somehow better off as compared to a poor Dalit.


The fact is that a poor Dalit has a better chance of becoming a millionaire in 50 years than a poor Brahmin. Over the next 200 years, on the economic front, the Brahmins will become Dalits and vice-versa..


I am not a supporter of the caste system, but the author's point of view seems to based on a biased premise. She quotes a study to state that even after 60 years of reservation, not a single Dalit holds a secretary-level post in the government. Based on this statement, one could also argue that the reservation formula has just not worked.


That said, I agree with the author that neither a caste-based system nor a simple economic background-based system is the answer. It has to be a combination of measurable factors resulting an affirmative action.  Ravindran S





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Purushottam Agarwal's theory should be accepted as it provides opportunities even to economically backward students in the general category. I have seen instances where a Brahmin boy is a toilet cleaner and someone from a backward class refuses to touch him. In such cases, which party is eligible for reservation? What Hardik Patel is doing is in India's favour.  Rittick Kar

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Discrimination cannot be stopped so long as reservations are based on caste. It would be better if reservation is extended to those in inter-caste marriages, especially between upper castes and Dalits.  Prakash Pandey

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You have explained why no Dalit has occupied a government secretary's post in the last 66 years. You said Dalits were discriminated against despite reservation. You should know that the "capacity to handle a job or assignment or work" is directly related to the intelligence of the individual concerned.

One needs to have the skills and ability to deliver. Caste, creed and gender has nothing to do with efficiency and effectiveness. A poor Dalit is not equal to a poor Brahmin because the former gets all the facilities in education and employment. Even if he fails, he becomes a doctor who never practises medicine or an engineer who never builds bridges.

A poor Brahmin, through no fault of his, is not given the chance to learn, He may have abundant intelligence but not the support of government policies.

When the US president rightly told India to go ahead and increase its reservation numbers so that more intelligent people would join the country's workforce, he was referring to Brahmins and other forward castes.

India will perish with such narrow-minded policies that drag the country back decades, even as the world advances in an era of competition and globalisation.  Abhay Ekbote

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I would like to appreciate the method of professor Agarwal. One of the basic changes needed in education is to apply a uniform system all over the country. Secondly, we should not punish our children for the faults of their ancestors. In my view, the solution lies in quality education for the underprivileged.  SP Singh

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I agree with some points, but when you say that there is still discrimination in India even after people got the benefits of reservation, then I feel that reservation has and will not not serve its purpose.

I think this discrimination will continue even after the so-called backward people become very rich. This is fault of our society. And if reservation based on caste will not serve its purpose, than it would be better to scrap it and give admissions and jobs based on merit.

Any kind of reservation will not help make the nation become economically sound. Because when a person gets a job and receives admission after working hard, he will take it more seriously. It is always better to remove reservation and vote bank politics attached to it and build a nation of freedom and equality.

There are poor people in developed nations as well but none of them have such reservation policies which hinder the country's natural growth.  Divij Patel


Linguistic chauvinism
Great article! This point of view, although most realistic and representative, has never been put up in public discourse, especially in the English media ("Stop outraging over Marathi – Hindi and English chauvinism is much worse in India"). I commend the author and wish he would continue to give us such genuine perspectives whenever possible.  Dileep Bhagwat

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The article, while raising pertinent issues, seems rather simplistic in ranging English and Hindi against all other Indian languages. Like everything else about India, the issue is too complex to be whittled down to a few languages.

Linguistic chauvinism is not exclusive to any one region, especially in today's increasingly divisive, intolerant climate. Each state insists on establishing the supremacy of its own dominant tongue. It's not altogether unreasonable, except when it prevents people from other states from earning a living there, thus creating borders within one nation.

To me, the snob value attached to English is more problematic than the compulsion to learn it for better prospects. Today, if the Centre and the northern belt (almost synonymous terms) had their way, they would happily do away with English. It is here more on sufferance than on acceptance due to its global prevalence and value.

Hindi is the language that is currently swamping over the whole nation only because more people, not the majority, speak that language in its various dialects than any other single Indian language. English channels have more content in Hindi than English, with no attempt whatsoever to translate simultaneously when unavoidable and little attempt to engage in English even when the guest speaker can do so.

That the imposition of Marathi is glossed over as a non-issue because it can be circumvented with a bribe. That is a sad reflection of what ails the country.  Usha Subramanian

Hindi's status check
Without going into various debatable issues in this extensive article, I'd like to make just one pragmatic point ("The many problems with a 40-year-old ritual: The World Hindi Conference"). In 1990, India embraced liberalisation leading to globalisation. As an English professor back then, I had told my colleagues in the Hindi department that the time was ripe to start preparing courses for spoken Hindi, on the lines of spoken English of the English Language Teaching (ELT) programmes, as it had become a market need in India. Twenty five years on, it's sad that nothing has been done in this regard.  Khaliqur Rahman

Lacking credibility
Anand Sharma did nothing as Union minister ("Ease of Business report: Is it just a coincidence that the top five states are all ruled by NDA?"). His department was a collection counter for the Congress. His criticism has no value today as he doesn't understand the difference between a commercial office/trade and a manufacturing unit. Mr. Sharma, it's easy to open an office in Karnataka but not a factory.

One can understand the Congress' doubts over the findings because it's their culture and right as an opposition party. But why should Scroll be affected when BJP-ruled states bag the top rankings?

I am from Maharashtra and can witness the changes after the Congress' misrule ended. Corruption has eroded India's credibility and finished the party which started and indulged in massive financial and cultural corruption.  Sunil Kale

French connection
The issue has been well chronicled ("For a government that’s impervious to FTII protest, a warning from 1968 France"). The sequence of events, however painful and traumatic for the students and their supporters, is superbly depicted using the French protests as a backdrop.

I'm hoping against hope that the government adopts a more understanding and friendly stance to the students and that Gajendra Chauhan sees reason and somehow the issue gets amicably resolved.  Manini Nerurkar

Redefining the middle class
I can't see much in the article except the writer's love for self-flagellation that many educated Indians exhibit ("Everyone in India thinks they are 'middle class' and almost no one actually is"). The article does not define 'middle class'. It can mean different things in different countries. In America, it might mean an American who has a certain income. How do you translate that into rupees in India?

There is no mention in the article of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). In the US, you can't have a haircut for $10. In India you can get it for less than a dollar. When they are doing a worldwide study, Pew Reasearch obviously has no time for niceties like PPP. Their only aim is to make their target audience, the Americans, feel good. And we have plenty of gullible individuals in our country.

Secondly, let's use common sense and ask ourselves what constitutes the middle class. The classification cannot be on income alone as cost of living varies across cities, towns and villages.

There are tens millions of families in India today which common sense would suggest belong to the middle class. They educate their children, send them to college and pay their children's fees (unlike many American parents), marry them off, enjoy an occasional vacation, live fairly happy lives and have something put aside to see them through old age with a little help from their children. What are these people if not middle class? Sreevaas

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Simply putting in the same category people who earn $2 -3.5 per day and those who earn $5-10 per day is the biggest blunder of the study as both the groups can experience a big difference in their lifestyle, especially in India's rural areas.

The belief that India has a huge population still in the low income group is one of the biggest historical failures in the understanding of local inflation dynamics. Anybody earning $2-4 per day in India can very much be considered part of the low income slab especially in urban areas.

But for people in the $5-10 bracket, it is possible to live a decent life in rural areas, which is where most of the population lives. Thanks to some basic amenities which are cheap in India, the cost of living in rural areas is quite low.  Saurabh

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Successive governments have been fooling the general public with this euphoria. All state governments will now have to redefine the concept of building various categories of houses and flats based on this new classification.  subbiah_ramasamy2006 on email

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The reason that the poor remain poor and the middle class are becoming poor is because of their own actions. Most of the income they generate is spent on religious activities because they are not educated or are poorly educated. The burning point for consideration is their bad habits.

People in the middle class pretend to be rich even though that's far from the reality. They are somewhat literate but consider themselves highly educated. Their degrees are only in name. They do not "earn" or acquire knowledge and so cannot achieve excellency in their respective fields. Their lavish spending, including spending exorbitant amounts on modern gadgets, without any return is resulting in them slipping down the economic ladder.

The rich are becoming richer and are "beyond reach in terms of wealth" mainly thanks to lavish spending by the middle class and the poor.  GD Awati

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All salaried people and others with regular income consider themselves as middle class, provided that they have two square meals a day, are able to purchase new clothes and have safe enough roofs over their heads with clean water and electricity.
If class is identified not by the yardstick of earning alone, but by capability to fulfill physical and psychological needs to sustain as individuals and groups of human beings too, the picture painted here may be different.  S Marik


Intolerant republic
You write about the Sanatan Sanstha and its persecution of the writings of the journalist Nikhil Wagle and especially its vociferous promotion of the extra-judicial route, ("With death threats to journalist Nikhil Wagle, India is closer to becoming a republic of intolerance").

With its open and frank advocacy of violence, murder, intimidation and threats, this organisation needs to be prosecuted. When the Shiv Sena was in its infancy, Bal Thackeray was promoting similar a ideology. Had the then Maharashtra government taken a strong stand, Thackeray's movement would have fizzled out, thus sparing Mumbai the incalculable damage done by the Shiv Sena.

As undemocratic as this may sound, some things must be legally squelched at birth before too much damage is done.  Asoke Maurya

The Netaji mystery
A very refreshing and detailed study on Netaji's death and related inquiries ("When India had no choice but to accept that Subhas Chandra Bose was dead"). The BJP is playing politics over his death as it wants to crush the image of Jawaharlal Nehru. The party is not remotely interested in Bose and his ideology.

After coming to power, it has read through classified files on Bose and found no incriminating evidence against Nehru and the Congress. This is the reason why the Centre is refusing the release the files.

Whatever little information against Nehru was contained in the files, such as spying on Bose's family, has already been put out. I do not understand what the fuss is about when Bose's kin believes that he died in a plane crash in 1945.  Vishal Jindal

Veterans unite
The OROP echo was heard loud and clear and reached as far the US ("How an essentially senior citizens movement helped make OROP a reality"). It speaks volumes about the prevailing resentment against the IAS lobby and politicians.

There was negligible organisation and flawed communication among veterans to share and voice resentment against the raw treatment meted out to the forces. The climate may now change. Veterans have to remain apolitical but it will be difficult to ignore their logical and valid demands. – Roshan

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I am grateful for this educative article on the veterans, who have been totally ignored by the media and projected by the government as "villains" and "greedy". Please continue your efforts in this regard. Citizens need to know that the government and bureaucrats are manipulative.  Satish Kr. Yadav

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Good article. I hope someone thinks of the deeper ramifications of this issue as the divide is only deepening. When I visit my unit, I find more and more voices of disgust and distrust. In addition, there is a feeling that both the political and military leadership are failing and interested only in themselves.

Instead of harping about the cost, we should go into details of inefficiency and discuss how we can make maximum use of resources.  Col Ravi Srinivas (Retd)

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This is an excellent analysis of OROP. Thank you for bringing forward different aspects of the issue and the culture of the armed forces  Dr Mamta

Time for change
This development should be welcomed by citizens who want to give the Congress another chance ("Disgruntled Congress old guard said to be mulling parallel party without Gandhi parivar"). Too much dependence on one family is not a sign of confidence. Rahul Gandhi has proved unsuitable to be a mature leader and has failed to provide an alternative viable policy for the existing disposition.

Merely attacking Narendra Modi does not earn credibility as an Opposition leader. There should be new thinking, new ways and new initiatives. The seasoned Congress leaders should ensure that the party that does not split but rather accomodate each other in the spirit of rejuvenation.  Ravindranathan

Optimistic manifesto
Rheea Mukherjee’s article is both courageous and refreshing ("A seven-point manifesto for the Indian literary magazine"). The real challenge is to find editors who have the patience, inclination and energy to focus on what is actually written rather than on the accompanying bylines of the pieces they review.

The slush pile has, by and large, remained a slush pile and heaven alone knows how many writers have been undeservedly ignored merely because they were first timers or because the editor had never heard of them. This is true not only of the English magazines in India but also of regional publications. As a result, one will only find the same clutch of writers monopolising the literary pages of any magazine.

If  Rheea’s suggestions have the support of a strong and resourceful publisher, the literary scene in India will be truly transformed.  One hopes for the best. Optimism, as they say, is life enhancing.  Pradeep Gopalan

Britain's Kejriwal?
Thanks so much for this knowledgeable and intelligent article ("Why Jeremy Corbyn's unexpected and sudden rise is (and is not) like that of Arvind Kejriwal"). The Corbyn phenomenon seems to have created a kind of mass cognitive dissonance in the British media, so commentators who are able to provide fresh and reasoned perspectives are more valuable.  Jane Goodall

Sanity restored
Great going ("To resurrect India’s glorious culture, we must first ban happiness"). With all that we grew up regarding as rantings of some losers becoming not only mainstream, but state policy as well, it's hard not to view oneself as an endangered species. Good to hear sane voices breaking through the blitzkrieg unleashed by the rabid tweeters. Keep it rolling.  Mithi Dutta 

Flaying the fatwa
I'm glad that these intellectuals took this step ("Full text: Prominent intellectuals including Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib flay fatwa against Rahman"). I wish they had done the same when a Quran exhibition organised by Ahmadi Muslims was forced to shut down and similar such incidents.

The challenge from the Muslim right or fringe groups is as lethal to ordinary Muslims as the Hindutva forces they tend to oppose. The only difference, a big one, is that sectarian killings, now commonplace in Pakistan, have not yet started in India. CM Naim

Rahman's rights
Although I don't consider AR Rahman to be one of the world's finest composers, he and every other citizen of this country have the right to express themselves peacefully ("AR Rahman shows how best to respond to fatwas (and a note about what they actually are").

No one has ever objected to Sufi music or Ghawali music which is in praise of God. Hazrat Mohammad is only a messenger of God. So what is wrong in writing music which is not disrespectful ? The Wahabis can try their luck in Saudi Arabia. This is India.  Sholeh Sadr

Cleaning up
Interesting article. True that everyone should clean up ("If we don’t clean up our doggy doo soon, it will hit the fan one day"). But this won't happen in India. We can't even remember to carry a bag to the market to buy stuff. We just don't bother.

I believe we could just bypass the problem by having native shrubs and weeds grown along pavements. Dogs naturally like to relieve themselves there and mother nature takes care of the situation by composting. Dog poo does not stink as much as human feces and hence odour should not be a problem. The only thing to be done would be to regularly trim the shrubs. Watering won't be necessary for native non-invasive shrubs.  Dr Madhuja 

Responsible canines
The people who argue for the rights of the dogs should remember that dog's rights do come with some responsibilities ("Kerala is taking its campaign against stray dogs to Delhi"). If the dogs do not want to be harmed by humans, they should stop harming humans in the first place.

Human rights are as important as animal rights. Let the dogs be warned. If they do not take responsibility, let them die.  Ranjit Grover

Poor critique
Karan Bali can take the present generation of Indians for a ride about Noor Jehan at his own peril ("India’s loss, Pakistan’s gain: The journey of singing great Noor Jehan after 1947"). The facts are very different. Apart from a couple of songs, she lost her aura and even her singing talent when she left India. She could not rise to the heights of her Bombay days, which will remain the epitome of her singing career. As for her acting career, less said the better.

Voice only accounts for a third of the concept of singing. Composition and lyrics are equally important. The music directors in Pakistan could not back up Noor Jehan and lacked the quality of the Indian greats left behind in Bombay.

The writer claims that “Lata Mangeshkar went on record to say that Intezar had one of her favourite Pakistani music scores.” Perhaps she was mocking a very silly question which our journalists are known to be naive enough to ask.

What is needed in India is true critical writing. We believe in hero worship and feel very happy with the bizarre outcome of our journalistic output.  Surjit Kohli