Playing the victim

Justice, Liberty, equality, secularism and democracy are the basis of the modern society and most of the constitutions in the world have imbibed them. From the universal declaration of human rights to the constitution of individual nations have adopted these principles in governing the people. To ensure these principles, the constitutions have also laid down special provisions for the weaker sections of the society, women, children, refugees, indigenous people, minorities, disabled people. These rights are given not as an appeasement but as a means of bringing these less privileged classes at par with the privileged classes so that the goals of equality are attained. These include the reservations for the backward classes and scheduled castes and tribes, these include protection of rights of blacks, refugees and indigenous people, these include the protection of religious and linguists minorities. However, certain people who belong to the privileged class do not understand the problems faced by these weaker people and feel that they are being victimized. They criticize any action taken for the weaker people. They play the victim, stating that they suffer because of reservations or they state that secularism is being forced upon them because they are majority while the minorities are free to do what they like. They do not pay heed to the fact that the reservation is there to remove the social inequality and not to harass the others. They live in denial of the fact that reservation is there because certain people have been discriminated against for a long time and because of which they are socially, economically and educationally backward. They again do not understand that religious and linguistic minorities need protection so that they may prosper otherwise they will continue to be weak and backward. And they forget that equality and secularism are tenets of the constitutions and not the result of political fancy.