History Repeats: Caste Reservations Mirror Aurangzeb's Divisive Policies, Threaten India's Future

• The article draws parallels between Aurangzeb's discriminatory policies and modern caste-based reservations in India, arguing both create societal divisions and hinder progress.
• Jadunath Sarkar's analysis of Aurangzeb's reign is used to highlight how unequal state policies foster indolence among privileged groups and suppress the potential of the disadvantaged.
• The author criticizes the evolution of caste-based reservations from the Poona Pact to the Mandal Commission, arguing it shifted from addressing historical injustices to political clientelism.
• The expansion of reservations, particularly the 49.5% (and 69% in Tamil Nadu) quota, is seen as replacing equality of opportunity with an artificial equality of outcome, disadvantaging General Category youth.
• The piece concludes that current reservation policies, like Aurangzeb's theocratic model, lead to mental barrenness, antagonism between groups, and ultimately threaten the state's economic progress and stability.

Why It Matters: Unequal state policies, whether historical or modern, foster division, hinder progress, and threaten societal stability.