Bhairon Singh Shekhawat

      The news of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat’s departure came to me from US. Some body wanted to know, which Indian leader died. I jumped to the internet immediately to find out his demise. I was shocked. During lunch I gave this news to a colleague, snapped he back, “What he did for Rajput Samaj. If wished he could have given reservation to Rajputs.” I was shocked second time with in an hour. The fundamental of reservation has always kept me wondering. Is the reservation a tool of social upliftment or it’s a privilege to stronger group out numbering other communities. Should one be proud of being in reserved category or one should feel humbled for being in that. Gujjar in Rajasthan have been paralising normal public life for their inclusion in scheduled tribes. Let’s not dispute the claim of a dominating agriculture class with strong vote bank for the same but what about the communities like Gadiya Luhar (a nomadic community of iron smiths which wanders in bullock carts from one place to another) and other nomadic and semi nomadic tribes. Some of them have not yet been included into scheduled categories and those which have been are not benefited from it and are still forced to lead nomadic life. In fact reservation has not helped poor and weak to strengthen but has helped lesser strong to become stronger and stronger. It has not reached to the person at the lowest rung of the society and it will never reach as those strong beneficiaries of this lollypop will never let it happen. Any attempt made to reach this facility to the needful will be thwarted by those of likes Lalu, Mulayam and Paswan on one pretext or other.

        Bhairon Singh Shekhawat worked for the society as a whole and he was never sticked to a single community. He was the face of modern Rajsthan. It was his efforts that Rajasthan has picked up the pace of progress. And infact he was the alone Rajput Member, of his party, in then assembly who voted in the favour of abolition of Jamindari. This should be in the knowledge of those too who vow to immolate themselves if Bhairon Shingh became Vice President of India and shamlelessly keep on living the life useless to every one till God keeps on showering His mercy .

   Those who talk abt particular ‘Samajs’ always forget that Imam of Jama Masjid might claim to be representative of Mohammedans in India but APJ Abdul Kalam represents the whole India.