Law's Advocate vs Devil's Advocate

That’s how the interview began claiming FM Chidambaram as an advocate of reservation. The pun however is on FM’s former profession, law practice and Karan’s present profession- Devil’s advocacy. - Karan Thapar vs. P. Chidambaram. It was an interview I was looking out for since while Karan is a master at adding fuel to smoke and show that it’s a fire, enraging and even breaking down the interviewee, FM by the very outlook looks as cold as ice who wouldn’t provoked.

However in this tussle Karan gained the upper edge ‘coz several times Chidambaram did seem perturbed defending his stand. His answers sometimes sounded too generalist missing the main point entirely. He seemed closed on certain issues too.

As far as Karan Thapar was concerned, at times he did seem to quibble with words, but I think he is the Devil’s advocate. It’s his job to provoke, to provide interpretations in order to get a consistent meaning out of the whole affair.

At the end of the interview, I have certain reservations with the replies of Mr. Chidambaram.

1. In the very beginning of the interview

Karan Thapar: So you think that reservation is the right thing.
P Chidambaram: Among all the instruments available to us for affirmative action, the one that is proved most effective is reservation.

Well what are those other instruments that he talks of and has govt. ever contemplated about implementing them since the first time reservation was implemented so that even though empirically at least there is a comparison.

In addition, disappointment emerges from his reply to relevance of review of reservation, the efficiency as well as functional aspects too.

Karan Thapar: Let me ask the question differently - after 50 odd years of reservations and the controversy that they have created, at least in some quarters, do you believe that a review of how they function would be a sensible thing to do?
P Chidambaram: If review means questioning the justification of reservation, I say 'no'.

1. He says that there is ample material available to support the govt’s stand. Karan seems to suggest that ministry might fudge data or concoct reports to support their evidence and FM says that reports are stacked somewhere only they need to be pulled out and drafted properly in an affidavit. But this whole saga has been continuing for around a month and never did we ever hear of these reports. Now the govt. can’t cry wolf saying that media didn’t cover them too!!


2. The most disappointing part was this:

P Chidambaram: In the Cabinet, I will give my opinion.
Karan Thapar: Share it with the country. We look up to you and the country is listening to you.
P Chidambaram: I don't agree with you. A very small section understands English and listens to your programme
So what if only a small section comes to know of his stand, at least one could have heard about the grounds on which an intellectual like him believes that reservation is the right way forward? We surely do not expect a volte-face from him that he will revert his opinion while voting in the cabinet.

1. His unease at defending Mandal’s report even though Rajiv Gandhi had disputed the data was quite clear at the interview and his answers were more or less had an assumption that since one thing has been implemented in the past it is not erroneous or can’t be questioned.

Karan Thapar: His conclusion is important. In the end, it may be emphasized that the survey has no pretensions to being a piece of academic research. On what basis then today, as successors to Rajiv Gandhi, do you want to keep pursuing the report?
P Chidambaram: Please remember, after that speech, in 1991, a Congress Government implemented reservation in Government jobs and that has come to stay.
Karan Thapar: So, in other words, Mr Gandhi's position has been forgotten?
P Chidambaram: No, I respect his view.
Karan Thapar: So much so that you want to go ahead with the report that was effectively rubbishing.
P Chidambaram: Please remember, it has been implemented in 1991. This is not the first time it is being implemented.
Karan Thapar: He was deeply critical of the 52 per cent figure.
P Chidambaram: He was.
Karan Thapar: He actually said that this figure includes many castes that are forward castes and many castes that are Scheduled Castes, he disputed that figure.
P Chidambaram: I am aware of that speech, but the fact remains that in 1991, a Congress Government implemented reservation in Government jobs. And now, 15 years later, the demand is to implement reservations in educational institutions.
Karan Thapar: Today, your Government that functions effectively under the tutelage of his widow will be in fact implementing something that he in his greatest speech had deeply criticised.
P Chidambaram: That is a wrong way to look at it. The Government has to reflect the realities and the aspirations of today. Today, there is a Parliament, there are political parties, there are political parties representing the very backward castes as a coalition Government, MPs reflect, I believe, the aspirations of their constituents. If Parliament decides that a Bill must be passed to provide for reservation for Backward Castes in educational institutions, that is not showing disrespect to Rajiv Gandhi, the way you put it, that means we are reflecting the current realities.
Well the last response showed the severe disconnect. Does he mean to say that the report that was termed as unscientific by Rajiv Gandhi at that time suddenly has become relevant and reflects current realities! Did Nostradamus himself investigate this issue? Btw one might read through why Rajiv Gandhi had objections with the report as narrated by Karan and be convinced that the report is indeed very unscientific.
In the end even I wait for the reply to the closing words of Rajiv’s speech
“Let us not have one man’s obstinacy holding India hostage ... Let that man’s obstinacy not lead to caste war ... I appeal to the patriotism and patriotic feelings of every member in this House not to remain idle, not to remain quiet and save this nation from the obstinacy of one person.”
May someone please stand up and reply.