The zeal to prove that what others can do, he can do better, was in him since childhood – since the time a young Nethrapal had accompanied his mother Vasantha Kumari countless times to a minister’s house for a recommendation letter to a school for a seat in class 5. The 10th pass mother believed that if her son gets into a top English medium school, where mostly upper caste kids go, he would get a chance to succeed in life, like them.
Eventually that letter came, and so did a seat in the school in Karnataka. However, the principal was sceptical about Nethrapal, who was from the SC community, being able to learn Sanskrit, a compulsory subject. The young boy did struggle in the beginning, but his mother’s belief in him made him work harder and aim higher. And, when the 10th board results came, he missed a state rank by 3 marks, got 124 out of 125 in Sanskrit, which was the highest in his school.
He had also secured 100 out of 100 in Maths, which eventually led him towards engineering and he graduated from IIT Madras, topped it up with an MBA degree from IIM Bangalore, and later joined Indian Revenue Service, to fulfill his mother’s wish to see him as a civil servant.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, M S Nethrapal, who is now Additional Commissioner, Income Tax, Bengaluru, gave glimpses of his life that has shaped his outlook towards life and has sparked a fire inside him to speak openly in support of reservation, a contentious topic in the country.
MOTHER MADE HIM A FIGHTER
“My mother’s belief that I can be someone is the one single thing that makes me fight the unknown and take on the uncertainties. She always led me into a direction of selfless work, and I dedicate all my achievements to her,” Mr. Nethrapal said.
Today, he has reached the echelons of professional success, as civil service is the most prestigious profession in the country. After passing out of IIT and then IIM, he cracked UPSC CSE 2006 with AIR 236 and joined Indian Revenue Service. In 2009-10, he designed the Sahaj and Sugam forms used by 4.5 crores taxpayers today. He received the Finance Minister Award 2022 from Nirmala Sitharaman.
KNOWN FOR PRO-RESERVATION POSTS
However, other than his work in the IRS, he is also known for writing openly in support of reservation. This is a much debated topic in the country as can be witnessed in the ugly spats in TV channels and on social media platforms. Using this same social media as a tool, Mr. Nethrapal regularly posts about why reservation is necessary, and also busts myths around it.
“I do a lot of research to support my views with accurate facts and figures. My posts are always accompanied by recorded data and comparison charts. I dig into a matter before bringing it to light so that nobody can accuse me of propagating falsehood,” he said.
He first started writing in support of reservations in 2022 with a Twitter (now X) post on reservation in bureaucracy. The thread became viral in no time. He said, “There were unimaginable responses, both in support and against. I realised then that social media can be leveraged to put out facts to counter fake narratives.”
Since then, he is a regular on X, posting daily on reservations and countering the arguments against them fiercely. An X warrior who boldly fights for something he strongly believes in and feels passionate about.
GIVING BACK TO COMMUNITY
“I am doing my bit for the SC, ST and OBC communities in my own little ways. I have fought my way up, but it’s not easy for everyone to do that,” he said, while citing the example of IIT students from these communities often taking the path of suicide. “It is not that they lack merit. Coming from not-so-privileged backgrounds and backward communities, they suffer from inferiority complex. And when they are taunted about getting a seat because of reservation and their eating habits, it becomes very difficult for them to adjust. And they end up taking the extreme step.”
He also said that these students might not perform well in studies in the beginning but over time, they go on to do very well. “They just need a little time and space. And not to be made to feel embarrassed about their caste. Give them a chance to grow and they will flourish.”
COUNTERING FALSE NARRATIVES
He rues the fact that false narratives are being deliberately built around reservations when in reality, they are much needed to take the backward communities forward.
“There can be fair competition only when all participants are equal. If some are more privileged than others, how can you call it fair? How will a child who studied in a village government school compete with a child who studied in a premier English medium public school? Similarly, how can a child whose family could barely pay the school fees can compete with the child whose parents gave him tuitions on all subjects?” he asked.
GETS TROLLED BADLY
He admits that writing continuously on this contentious issue has made him the target of trolls who abuse and threaten him on a regular basis. However, he remains undeterred by this negativity and remains focussed on his main objective. “Someone has to counter all the false narratives against reservation. And I am here to do it!” he said.
Does he feel a similar heat at work as government servants are expected to be guarded when it comes to posting anything on social media? He replied in the negative. “I am not posting anything related to the service or my work. I am speaking out for the communities that are lagging behind. I am speaking for equality in the real sense. It has got nothing to do with my profession but everything to do with social justice.”
Mr. Nethrapal grew up in Harijan Colony in the Srirampuram slum in Bengaluru. He was always a meritorious and hard working student. Having faced discrimination early on in life, he does not want youths to face similar situations.
He said, “I have two sons. They are good in studies. Tomorrow, they will go to engineering colleges and I don’t want them to face casteist slurs. I don’t want to see any youth getting broken inside because of their caste. They didn’t ask to be born into a particular caste. We brought them into this world and it is our duty to protect all children.”
(MS Nethrapal has compiled his X, or Twitter, posts on reservation, caste, and merit into a book titled, ‘The Pain of Merit’, that can be downloaded here – ‘The Pain of Merit’)
