Na Alochana by VK

It was a quiet evening at our usual hangout spot near our area — the chai stall where we always end up. Four friends — me (VK), Vihaan, and two others — were chatting away when Chinna, the teenage guy working there, served chai on our table. Barely 17, with a quick smile but tired eyes, he hustled in his faded t-shirt and apron, while guys his age nearby texted about college grads. Vihaan, my friend, looked up from his glass and asked, "Chinna, why are you working at this age when your age guys are going to graduate college?" For a moment, everyone went silent. Chinna paused, rag over his shoulder, eyes clouding with frustration. He leaned in close. "VK," he said softly, "government schools and colleges don't teach properly..." And Chinna left from there. Vihaan turned to me, eyes fired up. "VK, until this government education system doesn't change, people like Chinna will remain in poverty even though they have studied," he said. ...

Welcome back, readers. This is   Part 2   of the series   Reservation Today — Who Really Needs It? . If you missed the first part on caste vs. financial status in reservations, read it here:   Reservation Today — Who Really Needs It? (Part 1) . It was a quiet evening at our usual hangout spot near our area. A few of us were sipping chai when Vihaan looked thoughtful. He picked up from last time's talk on financial status. Vihaan spoke first. "Last time we debated caste or money for reservation," he said softly. "VK, do you have any idea to help make this fairer?" I replied thoughtfully. "Maybe, Vihaan. It is not something a single department can handle. It requires efforts from many departments." Vihaan leaned forward, eyes wide with curiosity. The others stopped sipping chai, listening closely. I continued. "Every PAN should be linked with Aadhaar number mandatorily. And each and every bank account, every account in financial institutes, every pr...

It was a quiet evening at our usual hangout spot near our area. A few of us were talking when one friend looked upset. He said that his brother couldn’t get a government job, even after performing really well in the exam, because of the reservation quota. For a moment, everyone went silent. Vihaan, my friend, spoke first. “That’s not right,” he said softly. “If he worked hard and scored well, he should have got it.” Then he turned to me. “VK, is it really fair when someone loses a job only because they belong to a different caste?” I paused. His question felt simple but deep. “We should first ask ourselves,” I said, “has reservation really helped people — or only some people?” “Long ago, many groups faced big hurt because of caste. They were not allowed proper education, work, or respect. Reservation was started to lift them up and give them a chance to stand with others.” I looked at Vihaan and continued, “But today, reservation should help the people who are really in need, no...