It would be almost 5
decades since I opted for Medicine, to be precise in June 1970. Though I was
schooled in so-called Brahmanical school, the caste was never asked and was
never a taboo. Many of my friends[ Whose castes I came to know much, much later
in life] came to our home to play and then stayed over many times to have grub
made by my mother. My mother too never hesitated to eat the food made by Muslim
cooks even in those days. Because it was never thought in that direction ever.
I realized it for the
first time that there exists something like ‘Caste System’ when I entered the
Medical school. It so happened that, I saw somebody, who never scored good
marks, [good enough to be in the merit], in the school and/or junior college taking
admission along with me in the same queue. I was not flabbergasted or something
that melodramatic but was curious. On exploring the details, I came to know
that, He had secured the admission through the quota system. ‘Reservation’ in today’s
parlance. My encounter with the ‘Caste system’ for the first time.
I do not want to cast
any aspersions on anybody’s credentials but the group stood out like a sore
thumb, as most of them came from the interiors, the diction while answering in the
orals gave them away immediately. Again I would like to ascertain here, and
without any bias whatsoever on my part, not their fault, because for want of the
exposure they lacked the polish of the city-bred. The government too was
discriminating. Rather than allotting them the rooms in general hostels, they
had separate hostel making it amply clear their roots and origins. Like calling
the ‘Untouchable’ ‘Harijans’
I got the first jolt
when in spite of getting more than 65% of marks in Final MBBS I was not good
enough to secure a seat in the Post Graduation course. And to my surprise, many
from ‘the group’ just walked away with the premier seats though they had much,
much fewer marks than me! It hurt, it did hurt because I too had not come from
the wealthy family and was having an absolutely lower-middle-class existence. The
upbringing was so spineless that there was no question of fighting the system!
I shifted to Mumbai for
higher education and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Mumbai is such a
big cauldron of variety of social layers that everything just melts in it. Your
caste just does not matter. For everybody! So wives of the downtrodden, once get
used to Mumbai potpourri, do not wish to return to their native villages for
fear of losing the freedom from the clutches of the system that’s still
prevalent and being practised mercilessly back home!
My PG studentship was
uneventful because it used to be a big family, for every department. Seniors
taking good care of the juniors and HODs keen in teaching us and guiding in
difficult situations. Workload, always loaded!
The chasm was not
apparent then, amongst the residents, at least caste wise! The one that I did
not experience in student days, started showing its fangs when the Mandal
Commission report was implemented. As the reservation went from 33% to around
50% suddenly, the resentment in the open merit candidates became palpable. When
I was unit head, in casual conversations too, the boys had started taking their
reservations for granted. It was turning very painful for me because in my opinion
in any highly skilled professions like
Medicine and/or Engineering the only thing that must matter, is Merit! I also
abhor the brats of wealthy parents who buy their seats in the auction!
The second generation
of the reserved category is more aggressive. With the parents on the higher
posts, mostly in the government, it enjoys all the luxuries and riches and is blatantly
aware of their ‘Rights’ of reservation! When Open category student has to
struggle at every step in LIFE, it’s like Red carpet treatment for Category
students from A. Admissions. to 2. PG courses to 3. Government Jobs to 4. Promotions. Everything is as if offered
on the platter and the worst thing is ‘They are aware of it!’
I had to take one
particular candidate who was blacklisted in the previous interviews, only
because that year the seat was reserved for his category! In such situations I
did fear the backlash, so always opted for the soft options, keeping patient
care last on the agenda! The worst was to come. One dejected resident who did
not get the registrar’s post went ahead and lodged a complaint against the
selected resident under atrocity act because he belonged to the higher caste!
Entire management had extremely tough time to handle the situation!
I do feel sorry for
the resident who lost her life, but this is the tip of the iceberg. There does not
seem to be an end to the political appeasement on the government’s part.[ Dhangars,
Patels, Jats in the waiting] It is simply sacrificing merit on the altar of
caste. In certain branches If there is not going to be any post for the Open
category, which is the most deserving one, merit wise, then out of frustration,
these type of skirmishes amongst the residents are going to increase. Is it the
beginning of Social Unrest?
