Caste, Quotas, and Equality: Time to Rethink Reservation?
A 60-minute session on equality and reservation, approached from everyday life: the dinner bill, the sibling who got more help, the side doors into college, ladies' seats on the bus, jobs for locals, the caste box on a form, the cup on a separate shelf and what we tell our children. Is equal the same as fair, and who gets to decide? Twelve independent cards; open three or four.
The opening question
When was the last time you caught yourself thinking “that's not fair”, about anything at all, however small?
Everyone in the room answers this in one line before any card is opened. Write the answers down; you will come back to them.
The cards
12 ways into the topic
Each card is independent. Your group votes on which to open, and four or five is plenty for an hour. Behind every card sit three prompts, one at a time, that only appear once it is opened on the board. Unopened cards keep for next time.
- 1
Splitting The Bill Equally
Dinner with friends. You had a soup and a lime soda. Someone else had the biggest dish and three drinks.
- 2
Helping One Child More
Your younger brother struggled at school, so your parents paid for tuition and coaching. You got through on your own and got none of that.
- 3
Quotas Nobody Complains About
A college keeps some seats for students who can pay lakhs more. Others go to staff children, or to state-level athletes.
- 4
Women's Reserved Seats
The bus is packed. A man is asked to get up from a “Ladies” seat for a woman who just got on. He grumbles, “Didn't you want equality?”
- 5
Jobs For Locals First
You moved to a new city for work years ago. You pay rent there, pay tax there, and learned some of the language.
- 6
The Caste Box On Forms
You're filling a school admission form for a child. Name, date of birth, religion, caste. You pause with the pen in the air.
- 7
Caste Names On Cars
You're stuck in traffic. The car in front has a big sticker on the back glass with a community name on it. Some people smile. Some people feel uneasy.
- 8
Separate Cups For House Help
The woman who cleans your home has worked there for years. Everyone says she's “like family”.
- 9
Correcting Older Relatives
Family lunch. Your grandfather says something about “those people”. Everyone keeps eating. You feel your face go hot.
- 10
Explaining Caste To Children
An eight-year-old comes home from school. A classmate asked, “What caste are you?” Now the child is asking you.
- 11
Friends From Different Backgrounds
Think of the friends you'd call at 2am. Same kind of school, same kind of family, similar food at home. You never planned it that way.
- 12
Help Reaching The Poorest
A group of families gets extra help. Over the years, the same few families keep getting it. Others in the same group still haven't had a single turn.
The line to leave with
Which rule in your life have you always called fair, and would you still call it fair if you were standing on the other side of it?
More boards,more ways in.
Every discussion we have run has a board behind it. Browse them by topic.