KPSC reservation: Is it enough to fix errors?
The government has finally admitted to its errors and has decided to continue with the arrangement of SC/ST/OBCs to avail seats under general category on merit basis in KPSC exams.
This is not a mistake that happened by oversight or something. If this order was implemented without any discussion or publicity, this would have caused much injustice to the KPSC aspirants under those categories.
Reservation is given to those students who have been unable to compete with students from more favourable background capable of acing education and related sectors. Turning this topsy-turvy, a conspiracy was being hatched to give away the seats reserved for lower class and caste students to general ones. The commission was almost on the threshold of taking this decision. If this was done, reservation would have been a mockery of things that it was intended to fix.
If talented and hardworking Dalits were to be selected in their own category, what’s the point of their striving harder to prove their merit? The hardworking ones would get selected even if they don’t use the reservation provision. Don’t the higher authorities know this fact? What’s even more shocking is that this issue came up during the rule of a secular party and its coalition partner that claim to ensure social justice for all. How could this happen with Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy and Parameshwar were at the helm of affairs?
Though the error has been fixed, the government needs to introspect on this issue for sure. This is not an accident or oversight for sure. There are many forces that are working to ensure this circular was drawn up and implemented, if possible. Those forces want reservation to fail and the upper caste lobby to win. So a circular was sent out without bringing it to the notice of the CM, on the advice of AG executed by Chief Secretary.
If this was an error, why have those who were responsible for this have not been punished? An inquiry and penalization has to be initiated to ensure such discrepancies do not occur in the due time. But the government does not seem interested in doing that.
Unfortunately, the Dalits had to take to streets for the order to be withdrawn. The leaders of coalition had to raise their voice in solidarity to ensure social justice was upheld. Finally the government admitted its mistake. But on the other hand, the government is protecting the officer who make a mistake like one would protect an innocent child.
Such a mistake had happened during Siddaramaiah’s time as well. Karnataka didn’t support the ban on Gau Rakshaks when the Supreme Court sought the opinion of states. Our state had written a rather neutral answer that could work in the favour of keeping Gau Rakshaks without being banned.
But later it was revealed that the then CM Siddaramaiah didn’t know about this particular development. He was given wrong information about this response. The same ‘higher authorities’ had acted on this one as well. Today, the home minister of state may be a secular man. But there could be Sangh Parivar agents in police departments and one would be forced to go by the data and opinion they provide to bolster the claims.
The past government had trusted the information provided by the police department to celebrate Tipu Jayanti and shared the same with the media. This had become a major cause of embarrassment for the then home minister Parameshwar. Today, the country seems to be ruled by ‘legislative’ pillar. But in reality, this is not the case. Looks like the executive pillar is calling the shots at the end of the day.
Less knowledge about the system, innocence about what is appropriate and lack of experience has led to people in offices being misled. If an executive wing is implementing its agenda, the completion of administration for the assigned five years term of a CM would be a miracle.
Nobody trusts the government to complete its term now since people’s representatives would take years to even understand the administration and their departments. This can happen only with the help of officers. It’s important to remember officers didn’t cooperate too well with Siddaramaiah either during the beginning of his term when he tried implementing the flagship schemes.
All officers have their own agenda too, though they are bound to serve the people. They want particular parties to assume power. Hence they ensure some important and ambitious schemes to fail at implementation to bring bad repute to the government. This way they ensure the public opinion is never in favour of the ruling dispensation that they are not fond of.
Though ministers are elected by people, they sometimes fear these officers who have been sitting in vantage positions since long and that they can cost the ministers their public opinion. As soon as a secular government comes to power, they have to ensure they have a set of officers who are aware of facts and can help the government tread its chosen path. Only then the government would win people’s confidence. Else the government would carry the blame of something that it wasn’t responsible for. Now, such a culprit needs to be identified and sent away for betterment of the state.
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Speaker rules out discussion on Guv''s conduct amid K''taka Assembly standoff
Bengaluru (PTI): In an effort to end the logjam over the Governor's address that has stalled proceedings for the past week, Karnataka Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Wednesday ruled that legislators should not discuss Thaawarchand Gehlot or his conduct in the house, saying such debates send the wrong message to the public.
The House has witnessed repeated disruptions and adjournments since the session began on January 22 over the issue of the governor's conduct.
During his address to the joint sitting of the Karnataka legislature on January 22, Gehlot read out only three sentences from the 122-paragraph speech prepared by the state government.
The speech included criticism of the Centre for replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajivika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), portions of which the governor declined to read.
Concluding his address in about two minutes, the governor left the house, triggering a commotion as Congress legislators attempted to gherao him and raised slogans.
While the opposition BJP accused the ruling Congress and its ministers of "insulting" the governor and demanded action, the treasury benches countered by claiming the governor had "insulted the National Anthem by leaving before it was played."
The house again witnessed heated arguments on the issue earlier in the day, leading to adjournment.
During the interruption, Khader held a meeting with ministers and opposition members to resolve the impasse.
When proceedings resumed, the speaker delivered his ruling.
Referring to the events of January 22 and the subsequent debate, Khader said the conduct and discussions had conveyed the wrong message to the public.
"Our conduct as members of this House and the opinions expressed must be in good taste and in accordance with constitutional provisions. They must uphold the dignity of the House and its members. We must introspect in this direction," he said.
He stressed the need for caution to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future.
"Let us end this matter here, continue the discussion on the motion of thanks to the governor, and refrain from discussing the governor or his conduct in this house," the speaker said.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said the house should express regret over what he termed an "insult" to the governor.
Responding, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the situation would not have arisen had the governor read out the entire address.
"Asking the house to express regret is not appropriate. Why did the governor leave even before the National Anthem was played," Siddaramaiah asked.
BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar reminded Siddaramaiah that as Leader of the Opposition in 2011, he had asked then Governor Hansraj Bhardwaj to curtail his address.
Bhardwaj had subsequently placed the address on the table of the house, requesting members to treat it as read.
Siddaramaiah said the situation in January 2011 was different from the present one.
The debate grew intense, leading to another adjournment of the house.
