Before you can answer the question, I
must define what I mean by “meritocrat”. To me, the word means that one swears
by meritocracy. What type of meritocracy? In general discussions meritocracy is
defined by scoring high marks in exams (isn’t this how one gets into IITs, IIMs
etc.?)
My familiarity with Mahabharatam extends not far beyond what
I heard from my grandmother and my mother’s widowed elder sister. Of course, I
was recently schooled in the epic through Star TV’s serial of the same title
(courtesy, Star Vijay channel, in Tamil). Why bring in the epic on a discussion
on meritocracy? I have my reasons and please indulge me.
I take you back to the part where
Karnan is not allowed to challenge Arjunan in a contest. The reason adduced?
The contest was for the warrior class and Karnan, as he could not say who his
parents are, is deemed not of that class. This is when Duryodanan enters the
picture. He anoints Karnan as the king of a vassal state, and thus the latter gains
the warrior class status.
Somehow I saw in this a parallel with dilution of the minimum marks required
for qualifying for SCs and STs in
competitive examinations. So, Duryodanan may have been the first
anti-meritocrat! He opened the backdoor for Karnan!
Later on, Karnan was cursed by a sage
that his skills will become useless at a crucial time as he had posed as a Brahmin
(in a trice Karnan’s status changes three times!). So, in a sense what
Duryodanan gave Karnan, the sage took away. The story meanders this way and
that way but the original foot-in-the-back door, opened so generously by
Duryodanan stands Karnan in good stead - gets him the position of the General
of the Army.
Of course, later it turns out that
Karnan was indeed of a legitimate warrior class, being the first born of Kunti.
But, the original anti-meritocrat had taken his revenge against meritocracy as
defined by the vested interests of a class.
So, before you answer the question in
the title, please make up your mind whether you are with Duryodanan or not, in
this matter. Would you like Mahabharatam
changed, and let Arjunan go pretty much unchallenged in the field?
Raghuram Ekambaram
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