Chief of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday (December 16) accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “twisting details” a couple of letter Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to chief ministers, wherein he talked about reservations for the weaker sections of society.
Talking within the Higher Home, Kharge mentioned, “Nehru ji had written a letter to the Chief Ministers, which Modi ji talked about in his speech to defame Nehru ji by distorting the details. For this, he ought to apologise to the nation.”
PM Modi in Lok Sabha on Saturday had mentioned, “From Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress’s PMs strongly opposed reservation. Historical past attests to this. Nehru wrote lengthy letters to the Chief Ministers opposing reservation.”
What is that this letter Modi talked about, and what did Nehru write about reservations?
Nehru’s letters to Chief Ministers
As Prime Minister, Nehru was within the behavior of writing fortnightly letters to Chief Ministers, typically on the primary and fifteenth of every month. This was a apply he started quickly after Independence, and continued until a number of months earlier than his dying. He defined the rationale for doing so thus in 1947, “It’s in instances of remarkable stress like the current that it’s greater than ordinarily incumbent on us to maintain in shut contact with one another, in order that we are able to put forth concerted efforts to beat the grave risks going through us.” Nehru wrote about 400 such letters, and so they shed a light-weight on his views on all kinds of points.
When the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund collected and revealed the letters in 1985, a foreword was written by Rajiv Gandhi. He wrote. “Jawaharlal Nehru, as the primary Prime Minister, was satisfied that the duty of constructing establishments and conventions, so important in a democracy, demanded that he share together with his colleagues his causes for no matter selections he took and programs of motion he pursued. Change by means of consent and higher social justice have been the theme songs of Panditji’s prime ministership…These fortnightly letters have lengthy been thought to be a fundamental textual content in nation-building and in open statecraft.”
What did Nehru’s letter about reservations say?
In a letter dated June 27, 1961, Nehru wrote concerning the want for effectivity and of “getting out of our conventional ruts.” This, he wrote, “necessitates our getting out of the previous behavior of reservations and specific privileges being given to this caste or that group. The latest assembly we held right here, at which the Chief Ministers have been current, to contemplate nationwide integration, laid down that assist needs to be given on financial issues and never on caste. It’s true that we’re tied up with sure guidelines and conventions about serving to the scheduled castes and tribes. They deserve assist however, even so, I dislike any Type of reservation, extra notably in Companies.”
He continued, “I react strongly in opposition to something which results in
inefficiency and second-rate requirements. I would like my nation to be a first-class nation in the whole lot. The second we encourage the second-rate, we’re misplaced. The one possible way to assist a backward group is to offer alternatives of excellent training, this consists of technical training which is turning into an increasing number of necessary. Every little thing else is provision of some form of crutches which don’t add to the energy or well being of the physique.”
About efforts made to make sure “good training”, he wrote, “Now we have made lately two selections that are essential: one is, common free elementary training, that’s the base; and the second is scholarships on a really extensive scale at each grade of training to the intense girls and boys, and this is applicable not merely to literary training, however, rather more so, to technical, scientific and medical coaching. I lay stress on the intense and ready girls and boys as a result of it is just they who will elevate our requirements.”
He added, “I’ve little doubt that there’s a huge reservoir of potential expertise on this nation if solely we can provide it alternative. But when we go in for reservations on communal and caste foundation, we swamp the intense and ready folks and stay second-rate or third-rate. I’m grieved to study of how far this enterprise of reservation has gone primarily based on communal issues. It has amazed me to study that even promotions are primarily based typically on communal or caste issues. This manner lies not solely folly, however catastrophe. Allow us to assist the backward teams by all means, however by no means at the price of effectivity.”
What coverage did Nehru’s authorities implement on reservation?
The views on this letter however, Nehru’s authorities didn’t implement insurance policies to remove or dilute the availability of reservations. In reality, Nehru had mentioned, “Frankly, I want to put an finish to reservations however within the current state of affairs in India it could not be a fascinating factor to do almost about the Scheduled Castes.”
Additionally, the Constituent Meeting had debated reservations vigorously, wherein Nehru didn’t oppose them.
Whereas the Structure made provisions for reservation for seats for Scheduled Castes and Tribes in Legislature, in 1950, beneath Nehru, they have been supplied a quota in authorities jobs of 12.5% and 5% respectively.
Why do you have to purchase our Subscription?
You wish to be the neatest within the room.
You need entry to our award-winning journalism.
You don’t wish to be misled and misinformed.
Select your subscription bundle
