"If not then why? Was it your caste that held you back or your economic status?"
Don't you really understand that these two: "caste and economic status" are completely inter-linked or you just don't want to acknowledge? When your great-grandfather was allowed to sit in bench and read his text book, a fellow dalit student was not allowed into the school! He was made to wash and clean because he was branded as a janitor and was marked down for his life by your society. Was it not a CRIME? Person subjected to abject poverty will not break the cycle for next seven generations, says P.Sainath justifically.[please don't claim that you know better than P.S who is rural affiars editor for two decades and has observed their lives completely. ooh, btw, he belongs to your so-called upper caste.]
DO you understand how caste relates to economy NOW?
When you have learn in an unltra-modern school, have a motorbike to attend 4 tuitions and learn IIT coaching in best teaching institution for 2 years and get "Merit" and boast yourself against a poor student, both low-caste and economically backward so-called upper caste, in the name of MERIT? how SHAMEFUL can it get?
Youths claiming to be champions of Social Justice by fighting Reservation, has anyone EVER protested once against caste discrimination? Fight caste discrimination in your own backyard FIRST before you champion your 'great' cause! I don;'t blame them as this is how they were taught. They have to understand the reality by taking to other section of the society before taking up a strong stand!