Affirmative actions, also known as Reservation in India, seem to be a hot topic of debate these days. In the west affirmative actions have shaped as DEI in the private sector.
In India, there's a growing demand for a caste census to understand the socio-economic situation of the various castes so that affirmative actions can be formulated to reach to the poorest of the poor.
I wrote a poem on reservation some time ago. It came to me while I was listening to Bob Marley's 'The Redemption Song', hence the title 'The Reservation Song'. It's written from a perspective of a Dalit. As a Dalit, I draw it from my personal experiences. Hope you like it!
The Reservation Song
Reservations are but reluctant reparations
Damaging more than they repair
My neighbours loathe my precarious privileges
The source of my despair
Harijan Dalit Scheduled Castes and Tribes
Civilized words behind which their profanities hide
Chamar Chuhad Mochi Mehtar Bhangi Bloody Bastard
Deemed fit, spent lavishly when I’m not beside
They say I’m not meritorious, don’t belong to their pride,
They hate me and the system that let me inside,
How do I burst their illusion of merit, accumulated privileges, centuries old,
Innate is human intelligence, I’m one, my friends don’t be so cold,
My dark coloured skin, my unbranded clothes,
Fuel their entitled snobbery,
My stable job, my wedding horse,
Expose their closet bigotry,
The modern social protocol has forced them to act with respect towards me,
So with malice in their hearts and a hypocritical smile, they try to act all friendly,
And sing a sweet social lullaby, publicly praise justice and equality,
While subtly lobbying to keep me out of their elitist society,
My newfound confidence, the courage to dream, and fulfil my aspirations,
I owe it all to the patrons of Ambedkar and western Education,
The opportunity to be an equal citizen guaranteed by the democratic constitution,
I know is what shakes the four Varnas and their foundation,
So with humble strides here I trespass their wicked social maze,
My feet steady, my light unflickering, my summit in my gaze,
Yearn they may to see me stumble, fall off this climbing cliff,
Reminding I am for I was born on the edge of this very precipice!
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