Maratha quota: Teachers conducting survey met with anger, resistance

One teacher said, “Some people who head a caste-based organisation gathered around us and asked for our IDs. They were not ready to believe it is a government mandated survey, and kept asking us why the survey was being conducted on a national holiday. We told them about the January 31 deadline but they refused to let us continue the survey.”

The 154–question survey, prepared by Maharashtra State Backward Commission to assess eligibility of Marathas in BC category for reservation, requires details on basic demographics, income, education and socio-cultural practices, among other factors.

At least 50 per cent teachers of PMC and zilla parishad schools were trained to conduct this survey within seven days, ending January 31. Some women teachers were even reported to have been accompanied by their husbands or family members for this exercise.

“Before we begin the survey, we need to ask people their caste and that itself has infuriated many people,” said a PMC school teacher who is conducting the survey in Shukrawar Peth area. “But we have no option as the survey is only for Marathas, and one third of the questions have to be asked to people from ‘general’ categories. We do not need to survey people from reserved categories for this survey.”

Due to the short notice and lack of information about this survey, people are skeptical and refuse to entertain questions.

Mahendra Ganpule, president of Maharashtra Headmaster Association, said, “It often takes even up to one hour because sometimes teachers have to explain to people and remove doubts so that they give the correct information. People do not understand whether their answers to some questions will be positive or negative, so they want the surveyor to explain it to them.”

Although the teachers were given district-level training, it was mainly on the technical aspect of the survey, and so they may or may not be able to answer some questions about the exercise.

“Some people are courteous to the surveyors but others have been extremely rude and dismissive, even though we explain that we are on government duty. Many societies did not even allow us to enter initially,”said another PMC teacher from Kothrud. She sets out for the survey at 9 am and stays out until the evening, often skipping lunch. She said, “You want to do as many as possible in a day because when you visit 40 to 50 houses, only half the number of houses you approach may agree to take the survey.”

In some houses, nobody is available, while in some others, the members present do not have accurate details. If they manage to survey six to ten Maratha houses in a day, they consider the day productive. However, in some households and localities, not only were the people familiar with the survey but were also awaiting surveyors and would offer them water and tea, she said.