AAP may be heading towards same old toxic policies on quotas

With every passing day, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is beginning to look like any other party – if one were to take the simple halo of anti-corruption away from it. [caption id=“attachment_1324509” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Senior AAP leader Yogendra Yadav. PTI[/caption] Let’s forget the initial freebies on water and power as unavoidable since these promises were made when AAP did not see itself as a likely contender for power. But now that everyone and his aunt is predicting a bright future for AAP not only in Delhi but in the national elections a few months down the line, shouldn’t AAP intellectuals be spending more time formulating sensible policies that at least look different? The Economic Times today published an interview with Yogendra Yadav where he says AAP will be looking at an extension of reservations for the disadvantaged sections of society. He could not have said it more bluntly. “We will work for more reservation for disadvantaged groups. Discrimination on the basis of caste is extreme in India. Equally worse is discrimination based on gender and class. We will work towards the welfare of all groups that are victim to such discrimination.” How is this any different from what the mainstream national and regional parties do – which is about promising reservations to various groups in the name of backwardness? His statement to ET is also at variance with an earlier interview to the The Indian Express, where he said AAP would be “deeply suspicious of radical ideologies of the 20th century.” Among other things, he had said that AAP would try and transcend the Left-Right categorisation or even try to occupy the middle ground - like the Congress party. In fact, he went so far as to claim that “the Right cannot have a viable politics here and the Left did not have an intelligent economics.” But is speaking about extending the ambit of reservations a new way of thinking about old problems?  And is this any way to keep on attracting the hordes of fresh faces now heading towards the AAP. The main attraction of AAP for middle class professionals is that it is an equal opportunity party with no glass ceiling and with no pre-conceived notions on how to create inclusiveness. In fact, the rush of talented individuals to AAP is directly related to the fact that its approaches will mark a break with the usual. AAP is believed to offer a meritocratic option to those who otherwise feel excluded and alienated from the political process. In the recent Delhi election, AAP is said to have got 29 percent of the Dalit vote even without promising all kinds of reservations. Mayawati’s BSP received a mauling despite masquerading as the prima donna of reservations and quotas. If Dalits voted for AAP in significant numbers without thinking caste and reservations, what is Yadav’s logic of now extending the idea further? Can inclusiveness not be achieved without quotas? Maybe, AAP will not carry out the idea of reservations too far, but if it does, it will be a big downer for the very people who now see hope in AAP. It will be betraying the people now rushing towards the party. What India needs is not more quotas, but making affirmative action more effective by investing in skill-building and mentoring. In his last stint as Chairman of Infosys, NR Narayana Murthy proved the efficacy of this approach by actual practice. A 2006 Business Standard report quoted him as saying: “Last year, we chose 65 candidates from the disadvantaged sections and put them under intensive training. Subsequently, they were subjected to recruitment tests at Infosys. As many as 35 qualified for jobs at our BPO arm Progeon. This should be the approach.” Isn’t this what a brand-new party like AAP be trying instead of opting for the same old route of reservations?