Merit & Not Passport

Shashi Tharoor, India's nominee for the post of UN Secretary General, is reported to have said that, 'candidates will have to stand on our own merits and will have to have own credentials, rather than our passports as the principal qualification'. No one can have any disputes on that. But our home grown mandalites are sure to object. Because given a choice, they'd rather lobby for reservations for the 'Backward Class'. My point is, if 'backwardness' was the basis, the United Nations would forever be headed by someone from Sub Saharan Africa. Now would you want that Mr. Arjun Singh?