'If a Brahmin child by birth is poor then he must get reservation benefits rather than an OBC child who is rich and born in a rich family.'
A group of doctors from the Other Backward Castes have decided to give up the reservation benefits due to their future generations.
Leading them is Dr Rahul Ghule, who availed of reservations in 2003 as a medical student under the OBC-Nomadic Tribe quota to get a seat in King Edward Memorial hospital in Mumbai.
Their decision comes at a time when there is a strong demand in Maharashtra for reservations for the Maratha community.
This has led to a rift with Other Backward Communities who feel that their share will shrink if the Marathas get reservations as OBCs.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com spoke to Dr Ghule to discover why he took this decision along with others.
When every other community is asking for reservations you are willing to relinquish the same for your future generations. Why?
I became an MBBS after getting a reserved seat in 2003 from the OBC-NT quota. I did my education from KEM hospital and became a doctor in 2008.
In the last 16 years I have worked in private as well as government sectors. Now I am stable financially and do not require reservations (for my next generation).
The reason is that I want to pass on the benefit to other lower class society people who are not financially stable. The poor are not getting reservations and they are being denied and I am getting it though I am rich.
You mean you want to give your children's reservations to the economically weaker sections (EWS)?
Not EWS alone but the other backward caste poor too.
If my child gives up reservations for his seat then those who are poor in my caste will benefit.
My child who is an OBC by birth and a poor farmer's son who too is an OBC by birth cannot compete with each other because my child is in an advantageous position as I got the reservation in my lifetime and made it big.
For the poor there is EWS reservations. So what difference will your decision make even if you give up your quota?
The EWS reservations income bracket limit is Rs 8 lakh per annum for a family. Now, you tell me how many people openly state or honestly declare that they are earning more than Rs 8 lakh per annum? The answer is not many.
If you are in a job you will have to declare your income but if you are in business or in some other profession like even a doctor, you can always hide your annual income. Ninety percent of the people who give EWS certificates are fake certificates.
The Government of India will not personally go and cross-check EWS income certificates proof before giving them benefits.
Why did you feel the urge to take this step?
The fight between OBCs and Marathas over reservations made me think about this matter.
If you see the OBC community who got reservations, you will find out that it is only those people who have already benefitted a generation or two before who have benefited by the reservation.
New entrants in the OBC list who are poor do not get entry. They really need it but they are not getting it.
The reservation sector is in crisis.
Do you mean the creamy layer of OBC families must voluntarily give up their reservations?
Yes, they must pass on the reservation benefits to families that have not been able to avail of the benefit.
Are you alone in saying such things?
I am the president of OBC Medicos and we have 400 to 500 doctors in our association who are with me. They all are saying that they will voluntarily give up reservations.
This is the first time this is happening in India.
Proponents of OBC and Dalit reservations state that those who are socially discriminated against for 1000s of years need to get reservations and it does not matter even if they are the creamy layer.
If a Brahmin child by birth is poor then he must get reservation benefits rather than an OBC child who is rich and born in a rich family. There has to be natural justice.
Within my limitations what I can do best is not to allow my children to get the benefits of reservations, and pass on the benefit to that poor Brahmin boy to get the reservation.
And, I sincerely feel everyone who is economically stronger from the OBC community must voluntarily give up their reservations.
If rich OBC students give up on their reservation benefits, the poor upper caste students will benefit. This is how we can develop a good society.
If your child who is an OBC is not that clever and cannot score good marks, don't you think he should avail of reservations?
I am a doctor and I am financially stable. My child goes to the best schools in the city. If my child is not capable to get good marks or merit after getting so many facilities, the child does not deserve to get reservation just because of his caste.
He will snatch the seat of a poor person's child only because of his caste.
What is your opinion about the demand for Maratha reservations?
People from any caste ask for reservation because they feel they do not have the resources to meet their expectations.
I am not talking about any particular caste as such but I am only saying that the needy people should get reservations.
I am a doctor by profession and I know which patient needs a walker and who does not. I cannot give a walker to a patient who is not in need of a walker.
In the same way, one cannot give reservations to a person who is from a wealthy family.
The Constitution does not state what you are saying. Do you think we need to amend the Constitution?
I am starting a movement now. I am hopeful and I believe in future many more people will join me in my efforts. People are watching us.
You take the example of gas subsidy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the rich people to voluntarily give up their gas subsidy if they can afford a gas cylinder. So many people gave up on their gas subsidy willingly.
In the same way I feel privileged and rich families from deprived castes will give up reservations in future. But then someone has to make an appeal.
I believe people will come forward and give up their reservations once they understand my viewpoint.
How did you benefit from reservations in your MBBS admission? What is your story?
I got good marks in the Common Entrance Test (CET). At that time there was CET and not National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). I got 183 marks out of 200 and I got into KEM hospital in Mumbai due to my OBC certificate.
The general category closing marks was 190 for the KEM hospital. I was the topper in my OBC-NT class. If I was from the general category I would have got a medical college in Solapur.
I got reservations benefit in my time so I feel the reservation quota for my next generation is done.
