A friend of mine, who is an Indian citizen and working in my place as an expatriate for an Indian based company told me that the suppression attitude of the Indian government against upper caste has forced a lot of professionals to leave India. Both his sons settled down in USA. He has 4 other nephew/niece settled in USA. It seems day by day more and more professionals are leaving India.
I was in a impression that professionals are leaving for greener pastures all this while, but after the conversation with this gentlemen, I come to understand that upper caste Hindus are leaving because of suppression and not because of money. How far is this true?

Thandabani

Namaste Tandabaniji,

I think Hindus belonging to upper castes in India are facing reverse discrimination.

There are many problems for upper caste people in India. The problems we see in India are partly because of reservations.

Many are leaving India in the best interests of their families. What would you do had you been in their position? You would never want your children to face the same situations you faced. I think this is a controversial topic. Now the government of India is worrying about brain drain.

Ramesh

I have an aunt who came to the US from India because of the better opportunities to use her degree. She has said that she loves India, but that it's a more difficult life there.

I think India should be worried about "brain drain" as you mentioned. In the US the most intellegent ethnic group, on average, are Indian immigrants.

the same thing is happening here but on a slightly different level... when the black-led govt. came to power they instituted a radical affirmative action to help the historically disadvantaged (coz of apartheid), in which black students or employees regardless of capability get preference over indians, whites etc...

it has led to a similar 'brain-drain' situation in which the intelligentsia are all fleeing to greener pastures overseas...

if i can't get a place in university after next year, i will have to consider leaving south africa to pursue my studies/career elsewhere...

I think this is a major problem in developing countries. We too face the same problem here but not at alarming level because of the vast opportunities in the private sector, that includes education and employment. The Chinese controlled private sector recognises degrees from all private education institutions, which is an advantage for non-Malays.

In India something urgent is required to be done to stop the 'brain drain'. The Mumbai immigration counter has a separate counter for Gujaratis seeking migration to the USA. That is the level of migration at present.

Thandabani

The problem faced by 'upper jaati' people in India is real but I wouldn't call that either suppression, as Sri Thandabani's contact tells him or reverse discrimination, as Sri Ramesh thinks.

The problem is that the GOI, guided by the directive principles of its constitution is obliged, and very justified, to take measures to provide special aid to weaker and underprivileged sections of the society so that they can overcome centuries of oppression and deprivation and be able to face life at the level similar to that of more privileged sections of the society. It was decided, with some justification but overall arbitrariness, that caste can be used for determining class and socio-economic status of a person. Successive GOIs have, mostly for political reasons, tried to appease various castes by declaring them as eligible for GOI's support. This trend assumed a totally absurd proportions with the adoption of Mandal Commission's report by GOI.

The way GOI chose to help those declared in need of special help was to;

(1) reserve seats in most academic institutions and lower the requirement for admission.
(2) reserve seats in all government jobs and lower the requirement for eligibility for a job.
(3) provided accelerated opportunities for promotions and other benefits.

and similar other measures. The result of all this has been that there are very small number of seats open in academic institutions and government jobs to 'upper caste' people. Of course, these seats are again open to all, not only to 'upper castes'. This has certainly made it extremely difficult for 'upper caste' people to get admission into universities or to get a government job.

I don't consider the above as suppression or reverse discrimination but a natural consequence of an effort aimed at correcting centuries of perversion and distortion in society. I say this even if I myself suffered as a result and my children are also bound to suffer.

Nevertheless, there is some adverse discrimination, not by the system or the GOI but by some short-sighted and wicked politicians representing 'lower castes' and by Congress-communists combination. But that is a subject best discussed at some political forums.