The idea of providing reservations to women have been long debated. I am neither a feminist nor a misogynist. Hence I believe I can give an impartial and actual view of the matter. For the time being I would like to mention that I would support the idea of reservation for Women.
I can guarantee you that if you are a male; you have cursed a hundred times that woman are given reservation somewhere. In long ques, certain selection process and at times in even in some examinations (in a few workshop exams) women are given a bonus. And if you are a woman I can assure you that atleast once you felt guilty that you were being given an unfair preference.
We talk about women seats, women colleges, even women engineering colleges, women to be inducted to the forces (though they turn out to be a headache once they marry, and even otherwise their security is a headache, a case where you have to guard the security), women to be granted special admissions, women to be given concessions and what not?
It is a matter of irony that feminists demanding equality of sexes are arguing for women reservations on the same platform. Were you not saying you needed to be treated equally? Reservations were introduced to uplift the weaker sections of the society for the reason that they were facing an unfair competition. For example social reservations were introduced for the reason that the socially backward were in no position to educate their children or send them to specialized studies, and hence they were facing unfair competition. Competition was again unfair for the reason that the education imparted to the upper strata of the society was of a much higher quality.
Now having said all this, let us try to reason out why women should be given reservations. They are educated equally well as their male counterparts; they are given equal opportunity to attend any examinations, courses or any other auxiliary accessories that would come to their aid. So there has to be other reasons. It has to be accepted that, as is mentioned in the holy bible, women have dignity being a rib of man. Women were created to look after males and his children and that too she was created out of him for the purpose. We have to accept that they are indeed a weaker section of the society and for the same reason they face an unfair competition with their male counterparts. It is perfectly justified that they be given reservations; for no other way would they achieve the goal. I would use the analogy of a child and an adult fighting over a pack of food. Obviously the adult being physically stronger than the child would bash up the child and get the pack. Naturally the child has to be provided the pack exclusively without introducing the need for a competition with the adult. Women would not find a place, competing with their male counterparts, and hence have to be given reservations if they have to be granted a chance anywhere. As an example I have to mention here that women folk do not form even a meager portion of any major institution. As an example I would have to point out that NASA has not more than 16% of women in their total staff whereas ISRO has around 46% of women folk thanks to the priority Indians have for women. Hence inspite of having people like Vikram Sarabhai, Dr. Abdul Kalam, Perumal, and all those great scientists we had to postpone our dreams of reaching the geosynchronous orbit thrice, first from 1992 to 1999, the from 1999 to 2000, and then to 2001. (Hey I didn't mean women were any hindrance, I just meant our system has some discrepancies)
It is often ignored or rather deliberately sidetracked that all these concepts are ultimately harming the womenfolk themselves. The idea of reservation has long hurt the prestige and esteem of the women folk. It has more induced the women to be considered a weaker section of the society. Women colleges have served to reserve to hamper the awareness and knowledge of the students about social life. It is deplorable that even professional courses like engineering have been introduced to women colleges. What profession life are they introduced to here? A student of this college would definitely be inferior to her counterpart in a mixed college for the simple reason that the major part of professional education is just nonexistent in her college. It has to be remembered that the supposedly most advanced nation, US see no distinction between the sexes on any platform. For the same reason you find man and woman on the same platform working shoulder to shoulder.
I have to repeat here that I do not have anything for or against the female folks but situations prevailing in India prompt me to put forward all these views. I request all you women folk of India to think over, evaluate and realize what all these "so called reservations", meant to help you, is actually doing to you. If you think all these happening are not fair on you, what are you waiting for? You are the ones to decide.
