Friends of South Asia

"We believe that affirmative action policies such as reservations play a key role in the empowerment of historically marginalized communities. The reservation policy in India is designed to compensate for centuries of caste-based oppression faced by lower-caste communities, and the subsequent inequalities that have resulted. Hence we are disappointed and saddened by the recent spate of protests by students of elite institutions and urban professionals in India against the Indian federal government's proposed policy to provide reservations for an array of socially and economically disadvantaged communities, officially designated as Other Backward Classes (OBCs). It is furthermore disappointing to note that such sentiment of holding on to privilege and denial of real inequalities in India finds support among Indian Americans in the SF Bay Area. We call upon members of the Indian/Indian American community to reject positions that seek to further upper-caste privilege at the expense of true social justice, and seek solutions that truly benefit ALL of Indian society. "

Came across this press release from the 'Friends of South Asia' very late. I guess not all Indians in distant lands are myopic. Thank you, FoSA.