Social Justice: Indian Ltd Vs US Inc

This blog is based on the two articles “Infosys and Microsoft-1 &2” by Gail Omvedt in “The Hindu”(Sep10th &11th, 2001) and “Learn Social Justice from US Inc” by Chetan Dhruve in “The Indian Express” (July 22nd, 2005). The objective of the blog is to compare the Reservation in India and Affirmative Action in US, which differs in the name but not in the sole purpose.

The word Reservation has negative connotation here and it is been seen as a demerit and compromising the quality. The philosophy behind Reservation is Adequate Representation. The very word Adequate means Add + Equal, see to it is equalized. Reservation is not like giving out something for free to the masses here. It is to prepare or make them to represent in all the activities for the benefit of the nation.

Reservation is to make the government, education institutions and corporate sector to search the required skills in the larger circle of the society instead of fishing in small same pond for years. It is an exercise to mobilize the abundant talent available in all the sections of the society.

Reservation is synonymous with the Affirmative Action practiced in United States where the positive steps have been taken to include those from disadvantaged groups (Blacks) in education and employment. The Black people who suffered slavery and extreme exploitation like the oppressed section of the society in India for centuries has been able to make their presence in all the departments of the United States as a result of Affirmative Action.

As said in the “Learn Social Justice from US Inc” article by Chetan Dhruve, the US government not only extended the Affirmative action to African American alone, they included the ethnic minorities like Indians also to get the benefit out of it after the Civil Rights Movement.

Luckily for us, without doing any of the fighting, we reaped the fruits of the Civil Rights Movement. In the name of diversity, the Americans opened their doors and let us into their elite universities and companies and corporate America began doing business with the likes of TCS, Wipro and Infosys. Yet, our ‘meritocratic’ industry and ‘self-made’ NRIs bleat about how India’s competitiveness will be eroded if we give special consideration to SCs/STs in the private sector in India.

As it is very evident from the above said fact, until or otherwise if a person is given an opportunity, it so injustice to determine the merits of the OBC, SC and ST people whom are suppressed for thousands of year.

The employers like Intel, Microsoft, IBM, HP, Boeing, Lucent, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, GE, Nike, General Motors, United Airlines and Proctor & Gamble are supporting the Affirmative action so as like top universities such as Stanford, Harvard, MIT, and Yale. Many former military Chiefs in United States are showing their approval to include Affirmative action in US military. In other words, the world’s most successful companies, the world’s most competitive businesses, the world’s best universities and the world’s most formidable armed personnel favour special consideration for disadvantaged groups. Why the same gratitude is not shown in here in India in all top education institutes and in top corporate sectors.

Microsoft has taken many good steps to educate and train the African Americans to equip themselves to get into IT industry, why don’t the same step has not been initiated here in IT industry which has the greatest potential to grow and blossom. We do not expect the corporate sector to statically define certain percentage for the oppressed section here rather then can take some proactive steps to educate, train and include them in their payroll.

They can open their eyes a little wider to see the people who are all standing little far. This could not only benefit the nation or the particular section of people, it will pay the corporate’s greater dividends that they haven’t tasted so far.