[Reader-list] The Reservation of numbers

[ish at sarai.net]

A couple of weeks back I saw Karan Thapar's Interview with Chidambaram on
Reservations. This was a very interesting interview because he raised one
very important question ie. How the Govt has come up with the 27% as the
reservation number for the OBC's. My anxiety always was how is this 27%
number derived, integrated or regressed from empirical data. And I think we
have a right to see how this ‘27%’ is derived and how its supporting
material has been put together.  When asked this Question our very own
number crunching machine Chidambaram who only a week back came out with
flying numbers for FII, FDI and the sensex , here for reservations seemed
choked for numbers and even for words. And when later on when asked about
when will govt file the report (which I guess the govt it has to file to
the supreme court), the finance minister said the it will take 5-8 weeks.
He said ‘The Ministry has to put together all the material available to
it reach the conclusion of 27 per cent ... The material will be put
together. Wait for the material’. So was this number was derived without
the material being put together. hmm
This number is going to be applied on the whole nation and there has to be
enough material/data to be supporting it on the ‘national level’ and
not just state level. And again to explain this existance of 27%  will be
just numbers, which can be read in one way or the other, recompiled and
correlated to suit one Point of View or the other thats the truth of
Statistics.

Best

Ish
(sarai.net/ frEeMuZik.net)
_____________________________________________________
Following are a few lines of exchange from the interview
Please do read the whole interview is at
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/devils-advocate-pc-quotaunquote/12758-4-single.html


Karan Thapar: This is very interesting. You have already decided that you
want 27 per cent reservation for OBCs but you don’t know on what basis
you want it. Now you have to go back and discover the basis.

P Chidambaram: I am sure the material is there. We are not discovering the
basis.

Karan Thapar: You are concocting it. 

P Chidambaram: No we are not either. The ministry has to put together all
the material available to it to reach the conclusion of 27 per cent. It
will be based on material and the material will be put together - wait for
the material.


Later on---this is the imp part when Chidambaram was asked about the
derivation of 27% and the material to support this 27% and when it will be
available for the public to see it-----

Karan Thapar: There is something else that also emerges from this. If you
are saying that all that material will be put together, clearly it hasn’t
been put together as yet.

P Chidambaram: Wrong again. It will be put together in the form of an
affidavit and will be given to the SC.

Karan Thapar: If it is going to be put together then it hasn’t been put
together as yet?

P Chidambaram: Listen you are quibbling on words. Let me explain my
position. You are quibbling and therefore there is no point quibbling in an
interview. The material will be put together; the material is available
where Supreme Court asks a question. Suppose the Supreme Court asks what
have you done about a particular tax matter. I know the answer but will
have to put together the material in a form of an affidavit.

Karan Thapar: This is not a tax matter. This is an issue that affects the
future of people in India.

P Chidambaram: Everything affects the people of India. 

Karan Thapar: Its an issue that has been challenged. When the government is
asked what’s the basis on which you have announced 27 per cent
reservation in higher education for the OBCs. It’s an amazing thing to
say the government will answer in due course. The government needs to give
an answer today.

P Chidambaram: I am sorry the government does not have to answer you in an
interview.

Karan Thapar: Its not me its the people of India. 

P Chidambaram: Government will answer in the proper forum in Parliament in
the Supreme Court not in an interview conducted by you.

Karan Thapar: But you can’t tell the people of India today. 


P Chidambaram: I have told you about the material. Shall I say it in Tamil
for a change?

Karan Thapar: No don’t say it in Tamil. 

P Chidambaram: I have given you the material, the state government's
report. Let me repeat it once again for you. Several reports done by the
state governments counter backward casts. The Mandal report, the NSS report
and any other surveys.


Karan Thapar: All of which are contradictory. 

P Chidambaram: That’s your judgement. We don’t believe its
contradictory.

Karan Thapar: Its not my judgement. It’s a fact. 


P Chidambaram: If it is a fact then why are you asking me the question. 


Karan Thapar: Because I am trying to prove that you don’t have the basis
for the decision you made.


P Chidambaram: Go ahead and prove it if it satisfies you. 


Karan Thapar: If the people of India listening to this interview come to
the conclusion that it does not appear to them that the government have an
explanation, what would you say.


P Chidambaram: The people of India are not people entirely of your
thinking. The people of India consists of SCs, STs, and backward classes
also. They will be quite happy to know the large amount of material is
available in every state. Large amount of material is available to support
the argument that a significant proportion of seats must be reserved for
the OBCs.


Karan Thapar: It sounds to me what you are saying is give us time we will
come up with an explanation. We can’t give it today but in eight weeks we
will.


P Chidambaram: Sorry that’s your conclusion. Let me conclude the way I
summarised it. My conclusion is there is ample material, you are simply
refusing to see the material, You expect an answer in an interview. The
answer will not be given to you in an interview. The answer will be given
in a proper affidavit supported by proper documentation in the Supreme
Court and in Parliament.


Karan Thapar: And not before eight weeks. All right that’s your answer.