Why Rahul Gandhi is wrong!

Speaking in Parliament recently, Rahul Gandhi once again stated emphatically that if the Congress were to come to power, it would conduct a nationwide ‘caste census’ apart from breaking the 50 percent ceiling on reservations.

What Rahul Gandhi is suggesting is definitely bound to take India back by a ‘century’ at least in terms of development. Any sensible person in India would vouch for reservations on the basis of ‘economic criteria’ rather than caste. That is the only way to take the nation forward.

How else can one explain the irony of the son of an IAS officer from the reservation category getting access to the same privilege despite being affluent whereas the son of a poor man does not get any consideration because he is from the upper caste? How can current generations be held responsible for so-called atrocities perpetrated by upper castes, in earlier times? It’s like arresting an innocent man for a murder committed by his father.

Rahul Gandhi’s idea reeks of ‘rank populism’ and is highly detrimental to the future of the nation. How many Indians made their mark on the global stage prior to 1991 compared to today? The data and development made by India after 1991 thanks to PV Narasimha Rao (a Congressman) is there for everyone to see. Yet, Rahul Gandhi wants to take us back to the pre-1991 era which culminated in India having to pledge its gold reserves with the Bank of England.

Food, shelter, clothing and education should be the fundamental rights of every Indian and this should be the foundation of each and any policy initiated by governments. The criteria for this as mentioned above should solely be ‘economic status’ and not ‘caste’. We need leaders who can unite us instead of further diving the people along the lines of caste or creed for their electoral benefits. That is precisely what Rahul Gandhi is doing!

A Sridhar