Quick edit: Manipur message

The violence in Manipur over a proposed change in reservation eligibility reveals not just job scarcity, an all-India problem, but the need for a conversation on affirmative action that rises above group interests. A proposal to extend a tribal quota to Meiteis, who make up the state’s majority, is being resisted by Kukis and Nagas, who are currently eligible for reserved seats in education and employment, and fear being crowded out. This is reminiscent of other states where locally preponderant groups have sought quota props. When the policy began, its idea was to uplift the most needy. Over the decades, however, as a thin upper crust of Indian society seemed to prosper disproportionately, large lifestyle gaps between India’s elite and the rest have provoked quota demands from mid-bracket groups that feel left behind. A big role was played by an aspiration surge led by global exposure via the web. In 2019, the Centre effected a 10% quota for “economically weaker sections” that is open to citizens who had no quotas. But cries for specific carve-outs persist, and identity politics isn’t easing its grip. Perhaps we’ll need to settle on carve-ups in proportion to group populations.