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Reservation has been a major demand of many communities in India for several decades. Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes were the first major communities to receive India-wide reservation benefits. Other backward communities followed.

Those against reservations have argued that admissions, job allotments etc should be based purely on merit - rather than on the communities one belongs to. On the other hand, those who support reservations have argued reservation is necessary to overcome centuries of discrimination, subjugation and illiteracy.

The debate is often acrimonious, but reservation seems set to continue for many more years (even though the writers of Indian Constitution expected reservations to be a temporary solution!)

Recently the minority communities in India - including Muslims - have started demanding separate reservations. The Sachar Committee report - released in the parliament - has given added weight to this demand.

What role actually does reservations play in the development of a community? This is a huge question, one that has been asked and answered several times. It would be impossible to touch upon the entire breadth of arguments in these pages. However sufficient points would be raised here to throw some critical light on the issue.

All of us would agree that reservations are tools by which a wider section of the society is expected to receive economic benefits (though not always the stated objective). Whether you provide reservations in educational institutes or in the government job market, your aim is to ensure the person(s) receiving these benefits is economically lifted.

Setting aside the question whether reservations is right at all (as opposed to pure meritocracy), we must not forget reservation reaches only a very tiny portion of any community's populace.

For example, take the Civil Services. There are roughly about 100 IAS officers who are selected every year. If muslims were to be given 12% reservation, we could have 12 IAS officers. Let us not forget the total population of muslims in the country is close to 150 million! If you take IITs for example, out of 7000 odd seats, a separate reservation of 12% of muslims would benefit about 850 students. Again let us not forget the total population of muslims is close to 150 million! Or you take the government jobs. Again a case of few millions totally available jobs - out of which only a few thousands are going to be benefitted!

A large number of Indian muslims - as reported by Sachar Committee - are illiterates, a lot of them never enter a school! A lot leave before even completing their schooling, let alone graduate - to be qualified to take the benefits of reservations.

This is not to say reservations cannot make any difference. It can - but we shouldn't forget, given the numbers and scale involved, it would only be a symbolic one. One can hope 12% reservation in the Civil Services would give us sympathetic ears at the top government level. One can also hope 12% reservation at medical institutes can give us 2400 muslim doctors every year - who would (hopefully) serve the community.

Will that - however - solve the bigger problem the communities face? Take Tamil Nadu for example. It is one of the premier states when it comes to reservations. Though large number of people from backward communities have benefitted from reservations, at the communities level, poverty numbers are still very high here. A clear proof that reservations is not a magic solution to eradicate poverty.

The danger for the community is in easily falling prey to politicians promising reservations. Let us not forget - given all that they may say to the contrary, it is easy - comparatively - for the politicians to extend reservations to minority communities. What is hard for them - and what the community should be demanding - is to ensure more schools are built, more teachers are hired and paid, more students are enrolled, more graduate and more have employment opportunities (in private/government sectors) . This is where our energy must be spent - working with the communities - inside the communities, with the government acting as enabler, providing assistance where needed (making it easy to build more schools, hire and pay teachers, start businesses etc). This is what that would benefit the community in the long run, not the reservations.