Quality education is the single greatest asset that a nation can give to its people. It also happens to be the least expensive and most cost-effective support that government can provide. But Indian politicians' interests appear to lie elsewhere. After all, with the rate of functional literacy at only 37.5 percent, they can easily manipulate the votes of uneducated people with alcohol, pop slogans and intimidation.
So the protests by highly educated Indians against "reserved places" is not only misguided, but dangerous as well. Unless India's highly educated stand up for better schools for all, protests against caste preferences will only succeed in heightening tensions and selling newspapers, rather than improving the lives of India's destitute.
The government is probably happy with these protests, for they divert attention from the real issue -- the authorities' utter failure to address the fundamental problem. As in the US, the issue is not racial and class reservations and preferences, but ensuring high-quality primary education for all, rich and poor alike. As India's educated revolt against preferences, they should not do so in a way that reinforces illiteracy.
Arindam Chaudhuri is honorary dean at the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) and editor in chief of Business & Economy Magazine.
Copyright: Project Syndicate
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