Keywords
Reservation
India
How to Cite
Abstract
In the recent past, the Indian courts have often passed critical remarks on the reservation policy, thereby reinforcing the existing upper caste narrative and rhetoric on caste and reservation. And while in all of these cases, the courts have not challenged the legality of caste-based reservation but the constant judicial scrutiny of reservation demonstrates the influence of majoritarian narratives on caste and reservation. The questions like for how many generations reservation will continue? Or suggestions to formulate reservation policy based on economic criteria display a certain judicial bias towards upper caste prejudice against reservations. Such opinions presented in the form of discourse give space to dilute or dismiss the reservation in the public sphere. This article argues that the judicial opinions on the reservation when looked at critically in the historical context demonstrate how the upper caste narratives find judicial space and the narratives of backward classes are marginalized. To understand how the Indian judiciary perpetuates majoritarian narratives, the article examines the judicial opinion on caste and reservation in the two landmark judgments- M.R. Balaji & others vs. the State of Mysore and Indra Sawhney & other vs. Union of India.
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