Point

According to the Nepal Multidimensional Poverty Index 2018, approximately 59.8% of the people living below the poverty line are from Dalit communities. Meaning, the majority of lower-class individuals in Nepal belong to a lower caste. This testifies that a caste-based affirmative action system will automatically solve the wealth gap problem to a large extent while addressing the most significant reason why it exists—caste-based historical injustice and discrimination.

Caste-based historical injustice has profoundly impacted the economic status of Dalits in modern-day society. For centuries, Dalits were excluded from mainstream society and relegated to the lowest rungs of the caste system. They were denied access to education, employment, and other opportunities that would have enabled them to build wealth and secure their economic future.

The likelihood of many leadership positions being hoarded by upper-class individuals will increase drastically if affirmative action is based on class. The ability of a Brahmin to access educational resources almost always supersedes the abilities of an equally poor Dalit person. This is because of factors other than class. Social capital, for one. Social capital is a network of relationships, and social connections that individuals have.

Affirmative action, by its very definition, refers to policies that aim to redress past injustices that are likely to have negative impacts on certain communities till the present date. Hence, affirmative action should be based on caste.

Upper-caste individuals often have access to a wider network of people who can help them with job opportunities, education, health facilities, and other advantages. Their access to a network of wealthier peers that they can rely on for support and creating a safety net is non-existent for lower-caste individuals.

In a world where the remnants of caste discrimination were eradicated, I would fervently advocate for affirmative action based solely on economic class.

Khanal is a national-level debater with a passion for broadening her understanding of the world through research and discourses.

Counter-point

Srijan Poudel

The Nepali constitution enshrines our right to live. Yet, for those, unable to afford basic necessities like food or healthcare, this constitutional guarantee is just an empty promise. With our physical, social and psychological needs linked inextricably to access to material wealth, poverty is, in effect, a form of torture. My case today is a call for the rest of us to end this perpetual torture.

I wish to first highlight the dictatorial dominion wielded by capitalism over the underprivileged. Within this system, individuals in superior socio-economic positions command greater access to opportunities, social influence, and political power. The exercise of this power paralyses the poor who are in dire need of resources to sustain life, effect legal changes, foster self-improvement, and elevate their living conditions.

Moreover, the control of these resources is sanctioned by a blind meritocracy, laws safeguarding unjustly acquired private property, and economic policies that prioritise the economic growth of the elite over the redistribution of wealth.

Class-based affirmative action is a proactive strategy that seeks to level the playing field by creating opportunities for the disadvantaged, dismantling access barriers, and enabling social mobility for those historically marginalised. It provides the requisite resources and support for those in need, allowing them to enhance their living standards, pursue education, and fundamentally transform their life circumstances. This strategy effectively disrupts the concentration of wealth and power, advocating for economic redistribution and social fairness.

In reality, the vicious cycle of discrimination involving caste or race often results in economic disenfranchisement, thus pushing affected individuals into lower socio-economic strata. Class-based affirmative action, therefore, also serves these individuals, combatting both economic inequality and systemic discrimination. Class-based affirmative action acknowledges that fostering genuine social equity necessitates addressing not only the symptoms of poverty but also the systemic and intersecting factors that perpetuate it.

Poudel is a United Asian Debating Championship finalist and coach of Team Nepal's World School debate team.