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Gujjar protest for ST status mishandled

The Gujjar agitation is an example of mistrust, mishandling, short-sighted politics and a self-centred approach of the people at the helm of affairs in the government and those leading the protesters (editorials “Wages of promise” and “Gujjar war”). The situation has also put a question mark on caste being included in various categories for reservations in government jobs and admissions.

We all know that reservations have benefited the lower and backward sections, but at the same time the policy has deeply divided our society and political parties have done nothing to assuage the feelings of those left outside. Instead, they have created their vote banks within castes, endangering the unity and integrity of our nation. Reservations should be on an economic basis rather than caste.

Both the Centre and the Rajasthan government should sit together and solve the problem, instead of sitting back and calculating the pros and cons of their action and inaction.

ARVIND KUMAR, Jalandhar

II

I fully endorse the perceptive argument “A sympathetic study of the socio-economic conditions of Gujjars would suggest that they have a genuine case for reservation”  (editorial “Wages of promise”, May 29).

In fact, the Gujjars belong to the common ethnic stock of the Jats, Rajputs and Yadavs but economically they have lagged behind because of their nomadic and pastoral background.

If the BJP promised them Scheduled Tribe status during the last elections, it must come to their help now. Even if the BJP government in Rajasthan does not find itself very comfortable with the Gujjars’ demand, it must talk to them to find a solution.

RAJ BAHADUR YADAV, Fatehabad

Medical colleges

I read your editorial “Medical colleges in a mess” (June 2). This certainly was an opportunity for the government to get its act together and revamp the medical education set-up in the state. Given the past record, I doubt that would ever happen.The only sustainable way forward for any academic institute is to have the ability to recruit and retain the best and the brightest. Certainly, there is no dearth of talent in the state, especially in the places where these medical colleges are located.

If the traditional recruitment strategies are no longer relevant, then new and innovative schemes need to be devised and applied. We may not have to re-invent the wheel ourselves and may learn immensely from some of the ideas used in the West and tailor them according to our needs.

Certainly the spin managers and the bureaucrats may be scoring a lot of brownie points by saving on money that needs to be spent on health care in the state and the consequences of which may not be reflecting on the balance sheets just jet, but we as a society will have to pay heavily for these follies in times to come.

Dr Himanshu Garg, Melbourne