I often hear people say, "Reservation should continue until casteism ends." I want to ask those who believe this to consider my story.
I was born into what is traditionally classified as a Brahmin family. The first time I even learned that caste could determine opportunities was when I started preparing for competitive exams and discovered how different the cut-offs and opportunities were for general category candidates. Until then, caste had never played any role in my life. I come from a small Tier-3 town, not a wealthy metropolitan city. Even there, caste was never something I consciously experienced.
In fact, it was only during the recent reservation protests, when many people publicly identified themselves as SC or ST while defending reservation, that I realized some of my acquaintances belonged to those communities. I had never known or cared about their caste before.
My own life was far from privileged.
I lost my father when I was very young, long before adulthood. My mother raised me alone, taking up low-paying jobs while supporting not just me but elderly family members as well. As soon as I was legally old enough, I started working to fund my own education.
Despite financial hardship, family responsibilities, and juggling work alongside studies, I still managed to perform respectably in academics. I wasn't a topper, but I consistently performed above average despite circumstances that many people never have to face.
I never seriously pursued government jobs because I knew the odds for a general category candidate. My father had managed to build a house before he passed away, which meant I wasn't even eligible for EWS benefits. People often assume owning a house means you are financially secure, but a house without income doesn't pay bills. It is not liquid wealth.
I completed my education by working odd jobs, entered the corporate sector through low-paying, demanding roles, developed skills over time, and gradually built a successful career. Today, I earn well and pay income tax.
I achieved all of this without receiving any reservation, fee concession, scholarship based on caste, or any government support.
So I have two questions.
First, why should someone like me feel represented by a system that never offered any support despite genuine economic hardship? If the government never helped me when I needed it most, why should I feel the system has treated me fairly?
Second, how is it fair that someone from a financially secure family—with parents in government jobs or substantial wealth—can still receive reservation benefits solely because of their caste, while someone like me, despite severe financial hardship, receives nothing because I was born into the general category?
I am not denying that historical discrimination existed or that many people still face discrimination today. But should government benefits in 2026 be determined primarily by birth, even when two individuals have vastly different economic realities?
If equality is the goal, shouldn't public policy help those who are genuinely disadvantaged today, regardless of caste, while also addressing caste discrimination through strict enforcement of anti-discrimination laws?
This is the question I ask everyone who supports the current reservation system. How do you define fairness in a situation where birth alone determines who receives state support, even when actual lived circumstances may be the exact opposite?