AMANZIMTOTI, SOUTH AFRICA: I agree with most of what the writer S Aman Rana says in the article “Affirmative action for disadvantaged” (February 19). In societies where the distribution of wealth is dependent on caste, gender, religion or nationality, changes must be initiated to bridge the gap. In countries where this is successfully implemented, people live harmonious lives. In the US, for example, questions are asked not just about the number of African-Americans working but also the positions they are working in.
For instance, if you have four African-Americans out of a total of 10 working in an organisation, the question to be asked is how many of them are doing low-paying jobs, etc. In South Africa, the positive discrimination makes sure that the percentage of employed includes a majority of black people. It is true that sometimes a less qualified person is preferred under this system, but the bottom line is that the relationship among all groups remains peaceful.
In Pakistan, people of one province are taking the lion’s share of jobs and that can result in serious consequences for the federation. In my view, we need to introduce minimum quotas for women and minorities in all jobs. Pakistan has already lost half the country because of the domination of a few ethnic groups. We do not want a repeat of that again.
Sharif Lone
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2014.
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