There have been numerous verdicts from the apex court on the issue of reservations for the socalled OBCs and of course SCs/STs during the last 60 years or so since independence. Every time a judgment is delivered, the buzzword is "to bring the backward classes into the mainstream through positive discrimination". No where it has ever been said who constitute this "mainstream" part of the Indian society; apparently the expression alludes to the castes/classes falling outside the pale of reserved categories. But has anybody cared to set benchmark identifying the "mainstream" so that the reserved categories, when they are given preferred treatment in matters of admission to institutions of higher learning like IITs, IIMs and Medical Institutes, can aspire or are encouraged to raise themselves to heights that constitute the "mainstream". Because politicians have no calibre to think of the real issues; judges are a product of this mix of mediocrity in the society; and India is clearly condemned to remain a mediocre nation not excelling in any field. This will only ensure that Indians keep themselves busy in perpetuity quarrelling over nibling at the existing pie from all directions without ever caring to increasing the size of the pie/s which can feed all Indians without discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, religion or region. Then only we can aspire to make India a truly developed and most harmonious nation in the world.
