Whenever I go for an interview, the very first thing I do is go through the list of candidates. Not because I doubt my capabilities, but I fear that my “surname” might turn out to be a bane for me. Had I been a Brahmin almost a hundred years ago, the situation might have been completely different. 

But alas, belonging to the so-called privileged caste has become a tragedy for me and to all those Brahmin and Chhetri men and women who are systematically denied opportunities just because of their caste.

It might seem queer that a woman who is highly benefited by a 33 percent reservation is writing this, but the provision itself seems and sounds like a fabricated favour to minorities (either women or men belonging to different ethnic groups) in which they are deemed to be less capable. Well, the concept of reservation was introduced for a noble cause. But has it actually been empowering people? 

The system of reservation is not fair to Brahmins or Chhetris, as they have to work harder than the ones with reservation. I am not downplaying the efforts of those individuals belonging to minority groups, but I know the pain when your efforts do not yield results because of your caste. Even the INGOs that are guided by the principle that all are born equal drastically change their philosophies and give special preferences to minorities. 

Until and unless you get to the root of the problem, the situation will persist. Had my mother not treated me and my sister equally, we might have had a rivalry. Similarly, the quota system will only create differences and gaps between people belonging to different ethnic groups, which will be very difficult to bridge in the future. 

Moreover, the son/daughter of a Madhesi, Janajati or Dalit doctor, industrialist or business tycoon has an equal opportunity as the son/daughter of Brahmins and Chhetris. But rather than the financially weak and uneducated, rich minorities benefit from the reservations. I have seen people who went to private schools until grade nine but finished their tenth grade from a government school to be eligible for the quota system. But a child whose family cannot even offer him/her two square meals a day has to sacrifice his/her aspirations because s/he was born a Brahmin. 

The perception that only the people in the Tarai are marginalised is also not true. There are many Brahmins in the far western and mid western development regions who have to live with harsher realities. It is not fair that they are punished because some Brahmins have reached high posts in the government. The government has equal responsibility towards them as well. The reservation for the differently able people can be justifiable as their bodies prevent them from performing certain tasks. But others can gain success if they work hard. 

You can take the example of the recent results of Tribhuvan University as well where many people were agitated as the toppers were Brahmins. Does the government need to start a new system now of a non-Dalit topper and a Dalit topper? Or should people be judged by their capabilities?

Martin Luther King once said in a famous speech that he envisioned a world that did not judge his children by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. I too envision a Nepal where people become successful by dint of hard work rather than because of their surnames. I know very well how much people from marginalised groups had to suffer due to social ills like untouchability and how hard is it for them to emerge out of their past. But I also know that injustice cannot be the solution for injustice. The government needs to ensure equal opportunities for all, regardless of their caste. Just because someone is a Brahmin or a Chhetri does not necessarily mean they are more privileged than people from minority groups. 

Silwal is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Social Work