Srinagar, Aug. 4 -- Every few years, India finds itself engaged in a familiar debate: Should reservation continue, or should it be abolished? The argument is often presented as a question of merit. Those opposing reservation ask why a person's caste, tribe, social background or economic circumstances should influence access to education and employment. They argue that every citizen should compete on equal terms and that merit alone should determine success.

At first glance, this sounds fair. But there is one question that this argument often leaves unanswered: Were all Indians ever given the same starting line? If the answer is no, then the debate on reservation cannot begin merely with examination marks, cut-offs and percentages. It mus...