The United States has long been divided over what it calls “affirmative action,” a system of racial preferences intended to overcome the lingering consequences of slavery and discrimination against black Americans. India is now becoming divided in much the same way, and for much the same reason – the emerging system of “reserved places” aimed at redressing centuries of caste discrimination. But India’s good intentions, like America’s affirmative action policies, are misguided.
The United States has long been divided over what it calls “affirmative action,” a system of racial preferences intended to overcome the lingering consequences of slavery and discrimination against black Americans. India is now becoming divided in much the same way, and for much the same reason – the emerging system of “reserved places” aimed at redressing centuries of caste discrimination. But India’s good intentions, like America’s affirmative action policies, are misguided.