08/22/2026
I was against reservation
Then recently I heard a compelling argument, that you can’t talk about ending reservation without also talking about ending the cast-based discrimination (CBD) that is so deeply ingrained in Indian culture
Over the last few months, I have thought about this… and I am still against reservation
Here’s the thing: comparing reservation and the CBD is comparing apples to oranges. Does the CBD exist in India? Yes. Is it bad? Absolutely. But the caste system is a cultural phenomenon, whereas reservation is systemic discrimination
The CBD is bad and needs to be uprooted, but it doesn’t justify institutionalizing another form of discrimination imo
Moreover, reservation doesn’t even address the root of the CBD. If anything, it generates even more animosity towards the so-called disadvantaged people getting unfair advantage over hard-working general category people
And most importantly, a society can only prosper if it is meritocratic. Reservation is anti-merit, and so I cannot stand for it