ജാതി പറയണോ ? Should We Talk About Caste? | Dr C Viswanathan

ജാതി പറയണോ ? Should we talk about caste? | Dr C Viswanathan . Since 1930s, Kerala society had had a small but vocal constituency of rationalists and there have always been arguments and counterarguments about various issues within this group. Recently, an argument was put forward from some influential circles that it is 'hypocritical' for a rationalist who happens to be born into 'depressed class' to avail the benefits of reservation. It was argued that since rationalists are fighting against caste system, it is matter of double standards to simultaneously avail the 'undue benefits' extended only to some people in the name of the caste they were born into. Historically Kerala rationalists used to maintain that rationalists should keep away from receiving any such benefit, it was argued. . This argument apparently has some sort of an appeal, and many rationalists of Kerala easily buy into it. This presentation is an attempt to unpack this anti- reservation tirade and to show that (1) it is historically wrong to say that rationalists were opposed to community based reservations, and (2) that this anti- reservation argument betrays certain basic misconceptions regarding the logic of affirmative action. Much of the presentation is an attempt to elucidate the second point.
Presentation delivered during a seminar on reservation conducted by Kerala Freethinkers' forum on 11th Feb. 2018, at Children's Park theater, Ernakulam

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