Minority Quota - Is it necessary???

Hi friends,

All this quota stuff had really got me heated up, partly due to the fact that my IIM results were getting delayed because of that issue. I was wondering one day that if Muslims were given quota as they were minorities in many states, why not us catholics??? Are we not a minority too??? What about Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs and Parsis??? Don't they deserve a quota too???

When these questions were stirring up in my mind, a friend of mine - Francis Vijay - was online. Being a fellow Catholic, I felt it was better if I was to have his opinion in that matter... And what turned out was very interesting. With his permission, I am now going to present some extracts from our chat. I will refer to myself as "me" and to him as "FV"... you can read his blog at http://francisvijay.blogspot.com.

me: What do you think about Christians being given minority quota at an All-India level?


FV: Ok, I will tell you....but can you guarantee me that my opinion will be counted when the time for taking a decision on it comes?

me: Well it's just an opinion.. For my personal record...

FV: Well...in that case.... I have a 50-50 opinion on the issue....

me: Tell me.....

FV: Personally I feel that a better-off christian like you & me don't require it.... because we can get in through merit. But then, there are the recently converted Christians (within the last generation) who are either economically backward or educationally backward, who could benefit from such things, in the long run only....

me: Ok... so you advocate for quota based on economic backwardness???


FV: Well, unfortunately.....there is a grim truth I need to spread some light on - Christianity's sole livelihood of spreading is conversions. In India, over 90% of them are forced conversions, where some organizations tell them that Jesus is a travelling salesman & he has got the solution to all your problems. The rest are true conversions, where people question their own faith & try to find answers in other religions....

Now these 2 sects have 2 different problems....

The 90% section are people, with all due respect to them, are illiterate, half-witted villagers who aren't the brightest of the bunch in their town. They have problems of either diseases or economics or any other general problem like you & me, but not able to figure it out. Then the vultures known as christian missionaries spring into action. They swoop in for the kill; they come in, get medicines for the diseases or help them in getting a loan or just sort out basic problems because they are educated(something which they boast off). Now when these people start to celebrate....they are told to read the fine print - Jesus did it for you. He will take away all your problems for just a small donation of your religion

me: Correct!!!!

FV: All you need to do is convert & bam! - you are in a league of extra-ordinary idiots! Now, they do it - Those decent people who love their own gods and have followed every condition during every festival of their religion.

And now their problem starts - Not all welcome a religion change - People believe that it is worse than a sex change. So now, they are outcasts

me: Yup... How true!!!!

FV: Outcasts who are confused on what to do. People around them, shunning them. Only the strong minded survive this part(they think they are strong minded but the are have no minds so they survive!). Many reconvert (after paying a fine of course)

me: Fine like?


FV: Fine....like.... You have to do fasting or yagnas or somethings like that... Now these outcasts can't fend for themselves without neighbours....so they are pushed back more economically.... No money, no educaton....simple.....so they are now educationally backward.....

me: nice!!!! great info dude!!!!

FV: Now, since they stuck through the hard part of reconverting, I recommend these people for an aid of some type. If you need to help, then help them...

But they are not the only ones - Christian institutes have a christian quota themselves, not public though. Here in these institutes, Christians are in a majority, but they call themselves as a minority....and any one who is a christian is given preference over a merit student. One case in point - our own school - ST.PATRICK'S HIGH SCHOOL does this even to this day for anyone applying for an admission in the school


me: Really???? I did not know that?

FV: Well, a grim truth. Christians are given priority in Christian institutes - Another reason for people to convert (or fake it) to enter some of the best institutes in the world....

me: Oh.... sad!!!


FV: Now, let us not forget about the 10% sect. They are people who, at some point, had a question of faith in their lives and they convert without knowing head or tail about it. Most of these conversions are done under strong emotions....

me: Yup... I have seen them....

FV: If these people are counselled....they would find nothing wrong with their religion. But emotions blinds their eyes & minds.

me: Ya.... You are true...

FV: These people really don't need any help from the government, because they were already better-off ....

me: So how can such quota be implemented then?

FV: Now you tell me....who needs it & who is getting it?

me: I feel that all 100% must not get it. i had enough with all this quota and stuff!!!! I need less complexity dude!!!

FV: Well, I have had enough of religion based quota. I wouldn't mind a quota based on merit

me: Oh.... If there is merit..... then why the quota????

FV: The end results should be the reverse....the people who flunk the test should be given an entry because they are the people who need help and not the toppers

me: Aha?? At the expense of the toppers?

FV: A stupid little idea... just to relieve some serious talk....

me: he he he.... it did!!!!

FV: Well, every government will do it dude, irrespective of the party. They want to increase their vote & note bank..

me: Yeah... can't change that.....

FV: You have an idea to eliminate it, but with a few chinks in the armour, the same can be said at this end...

me: i have an idea?

FV: Yeah, some idea to eliminate a few problems like corruptions, quotas etc etc. People like you & me , need to sit down & chart out a plan to help this country, but unfortunately we need the government's help for that. But which government will help us - knowing that, we are planning against it????

me: What idea I have???? And planning against it?? You mean like rebels??

FV: Well, I mean you must have some idea to better this country

me: Well, join the parties like Lok Paritran and BPD - the ones started by IITians. That may be a start. Then we can work for the nation with public support.

FV: Yeah, but frankly i don't trust them as well... atleast not yet...

me: Why is that?

FV: Well, I figure them out 2 to be power hungry honchos who want to rule this country their own way without any help from the previous generations... They won't build a utopia this way

me: Well, they want support ... and seem good yaar... Atleast they are a bit educated.....

FV: They are too educated....

me: so??? That's nice naa....

FV: In my college there is a sir, who has done his MS and excelled in it.... Now our problem is he wants to model the college, students, faculty and others in the the same way that he saw some good things in USA.... Keeping the present situation of the INDIAN STUDENT ....that is unrealistic..... If you do things that are without a strong foundation in the hearts of other people, they wouldn't work out....

me: That's correct!

FV: And that's what i say will happen with these people - They will go in for an immediate revamp of the whole system without plugging the holes and renovating the present system....

me: They will go slowly yaar... have faith in them.....

FV: India has a good democracy system.... You don't need a new one now - all you need is a tool kit to fix the present one.... That's my final word on the IITians party - We don't need extremists, we need realists....

Ask them one simple question - Who do you prefer: Gandhi or Bhagat singh?? Their answer will tell you what they are....

me: I would prefer none - Subhash Chandra Bose is better...

FV: Well, then you are the right guy! I will vote for you... Just give me a call when you run for PM...

me: he he he....


FV: The answer is Gandhi & Bhagat were both extremists.... Both were either too soft or too hard. You don't need either of them in India's present day.... You need one who can think about both of them, but not be influenced by either & finally take decisions of his own....

me: Wow! Nice!

FV: Yeh dil ka khel hain, jisse dimaag se khela jhata hain....

me: Nice quote! I will write all about this in my blog soon..... Should I mention your name?

FV: No probs dude!

This was the conversation we had. What he told me made me think - Are quotas necessary??? I don't think so... Atleast not for the well-off fellas.... But how can be find out the basis of giving any quota??? How can we plug the loopholes? I'll leave it for you to think and find out...

Till my next post....

Ciao...