Politics of caste-based reservations have raised a number of questions. One is about the legitimacy and validity of such reservations. Second is role of politicians in abetting and promoting it. Third is Haryana government's attitude towards the Jats on-going violent agitation for reservation in jobs.

The onus for deepening the caste-generated division in the Indian society must rest with the Mandal Commission and the V.P. Singh-headed National Front government's announcement in August 1990 to implement the Commission's report. The decision evoked conflicting views on the issue. One was that reservations would socially and economically improve the economic and social status of the lower and backward classes. The other was that it would further divide the Indian society by widening the wedge between the upper and lower castes. Third was that instead of caste economic condition of the lower and upper classes should be the yardstick for reservations.

The implementation of the reservations as recommended by the Mandal Commission, no doubt, opened up vast employment opportunities for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes. But in the process, merit became a casualty and the economically backwards among the upper castes were deprived of their due share in jobs. Besides, these reservations created a creamy layer of SC/OBC who and whose kin have been cornering most of the benefits available to these castes. The on-going Haryana Jats agitation for inclusion in the OBC list for reservations is contrary to the earlier stand of the community when Jats had not only rejected the idea of caste-based reservation but had also agitated against the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, a most desirable measure.

In India's traditionally caste-based society, caste considerations have been playing a key role in political, social and religious arenas. The worrisome aspect of caste politics, however, is the hypocritical role our political parties and politicians adopt on the issue. They never tire of sermonizing people to shun casteism and communalism and to fight these evils. But they themselves practise these evils in their worst form. In elections, they select candidates keeping in view their castes. Caste considerations play a big role in ministries formation. Inter-caste clashes are engineered for votes. Haryana Jats current agitation for caste-based reservations reflects this trend.

In the context of Haryana Jats latest agitation for reservation in jobs, the question is of the Hooda government's role in dealing with it.

Opinions may differ on the merits or demerits of the demand. But the fact remains that vote bank politics is playing a big role in the agitation. Jats, the state's dominant community, had been traditionally the Devi Lal clan's major vote bank. The state's present Congress leadership headed by the Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had, however, succeeded in winning over a large chunk of the INLD's support base as reflected by the ruling party's winning 67 of the state Assembly's 90 seats in 2005 sharply cutting down the Om Parkash Chautala-led INLD's tally to a humiliating nine.

Hooda has been trying to retain the Congress's sizeable Jat support base by offering big concessions and freebies to the Jat-dominated farming community. The major among these was the waiving off huge Rs.1600 crore power arrears soon after riding to power in 2005. His second biggest relief was the sharp increase in the quantum of compensation for the lands acquired from farmers. Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and even leaders of some non-Congress state governments now want the other states to follow the Haryana example.

The current Jat agitation for reservation has come as godsend for the INLD for recovering the Jat support base it has lost to the Congress. It is lending full support to the agitation. Apart from the government's charge, media reports also speak of INLD activists leading the protesters groups indulging in violent actions.

That the state government has faltered in handling the violent agitation is explained by the Punjab and High Court's comments. It has criticized the government for not taking any action against those who had destroyed public property in Hisar during riots and instead registering an FIR on charges of murder against Hisar Superintendent of Police Subhash Yadav. The High Court bench observed that “if FIRs were registered against police officers, no officer would perform his duty properly.” It raised eyebrows over the rationale behind awarding compensation of Rs.10 lakh to the kin of the protester killed in police firing without taking action against even a single rioter and declaring him as a martyr. The bench observed that the Jat leaders responsible for the menace should pay compensation to those who lost their property.

The Jat reservation agitation is the biggest challenge Hooda faces. How he, with the political acumen he has acquired in handling political challenges during his nearly six years of Chief Ministership, handles it will determine the course of state politics, at least in the medium-term. A small way could be his government coming out with the existing share of Jats in state government jobs, particularly at the cutting edges. The main task for Hooda is to restore peace and normal law and order in the state. (IPA Service)