Mumbai: The lightning Maratha survey being conducted by the state has generated flak from senior economists and statisticians, with the former chief statistician of India Pronab Sen saying that the timeline was near-impossible and the quality of such a survey would be be very questionable. Economists have also said that surveys on complex issues like caste require more than a month of training for the enumerators.
The survey, which is being conducted by the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, is meant to help push the state government’s case for the Maratha quota in the Supreme Court.With Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange continuing to be on the offensive, the state government feels it does not have much time on its hands.
The survey staff have faced multiple hurdles in their work, including a lack of cooperation from residents in various places across the state, including Mumbai. In many cases, the surveyors have had to waste time waiting for permission to enter high-rises.
Many in the state government are concerned that such a rushed exercise may result in a mediocre report which will be rejected by the court. In 2018, the Gaikwad commission had conducted a survey which showed the Maratha community to be backward. However, this was rejected by the apex court, which struck down the Maratha quota.
Meanwhile, state food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who belongs to the OBC community, has criticised the survey. “It is a pre-decided exercise meant to conclude that Marathas are a socially backward community. The respondents will say ‘I do not have a vehicle or house’ but the survey staff will not question their claims and just write it down,” Bhujbal alleged.
CM Eknath Shinde had announced the survey when Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange was on his march to Mumbai with thousands of supporters to push for the Maratha quota. Shinde and his government have repeatedly stated that they want to provide a quota to Marathas which will be legally tenable.
After Jarange reached Navi Mumbai on Jan 26, the state government came up with a draft notification stating that “sage soyare” or blood relatives of Marathas with Kunbi (OBC) records would be eligible for Kunbi caste certificates. Jarange accepted the draft and ended the protest, deciding not to march ahead to Mumbai. The state draft says, “Sage soyare shall be considered among relations from the patriarchal relatives as well as the relations forming out of marriages and proof being given to show the marriage is within the same caste.”
The survey, which is being conducted by the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, is meant to help push the state government’s case for the Maratha quota in the Supreme Court.With Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange continuing to be on the offensive, the state government feels it does not have much time on its hands.
The survey staff have faced multiple hurdles in their work, including a lack of cooperation from residents in various places across the state, including Mumbai. In many cases, the surveyors have had to waste time waiting for permission to enter high-rises.
Many in the state government are concerned that such a rushed exercise may result in a mediocre report which will be rejected by the court. In 2018, the Gaikwad commission had conducted a survey which showed the Maratha community to be backward. However, this was rejected by the apex court, which struck down the Maratha quota.
Meanwhile, state food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who belongs to the OBC community, has criticised the survey. “It is a pre-decided exercise meant to conclude that Marathas are a socially backward community. The respondents will say ‘I do not have a vehicle or house’ but the survey staff will not question their claims and just write it down,” Bhujbal alleged.
CM Eknath Shinde had announced the survey when Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange was on his march to Mumbai with thousands of supporters to push for the Maratha quota. Shinde and his government have repeatedly stated that they want to provide a quota to Marathas which will be legally tenable.
After Jarange reached Navi Mumbai on Jan 26, the state government came up with a draft notification stating that “sage soyare” or blood relatives of Marathas with Kunbi (OBC) records would be eligible for Kunbi caste certificates. Jarange accepted the draft and ended the protest, deciding not to march ahead to Mumbai. The state draft says, “Sage soyare shall be considered among relations from the patriarchal relatives as well as the relations forming out of marriages and proof being given to show the marriage is within the same caste.”