GOVERNMENT OF GUJARAT REPORT OF THE SOCIALLY & EDUCATIONALLY BACKWARD CLASS COMMISSION VOL. I NIEPA DC SN0102 GUJARAT STATE 1976 V7/-^7 _£oC - R ¥ , . v.-.rems Unit, i r --.f Educational v- . ■ ' " . • r . .... ."I ■■ Ve.-"elhj-110C:. 17-B • _ T N S - I d o c . i ......^ T — Date. A. R. Bakstii, Chairman, No. SEBC/76 C. N. Vakil, Member, O f f ic e o f t h e So c ia l l y a n d Taraben N. Patel, Member, E ducationally Ba c k w a r d K. C. Sagar, Member, G lass C om m issio n ,. B. D. Joshi, Member-Secretary, Ahmedabad,-15 Dated, 27th February 1976. Dear Shri Chief Minister, We, the Members of the Socially and Educationally Backward Class Commission, have great pleasure in presenting the accompanying Report to Government. 2. The appointment of the Commission was made on 8th August 1972 and the Secretary to the Commission was appointed on 20th Dec­ ember, 1972. The enquiry has taken a little over 3 years for reasons that will be obvious on a perusal of the Report and the bulk of the data and evidence gathered by the Commission. The Commission visited about 146 places and examined 2139 witnesses. It was possible to prepare the Report only after the tours were completed and after we were able to analyse relevant information from the replies of the questionnaires, written representations and oral evidence. The socio-economic house­ hold sample survey, which was undertaken on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee, took more time than expected, because of the late availability of the staff. But since the work that was entrusted to us, was of great public utility and importance; we felt that the enquiry must be thorough and comprehensive, if it $/as to serve a useful purpose and fulfil the long felt need of an authoritative and impartial source of information and guidance to Government on the question of backward­ ness in the State. 3. The manner in which the enquiry has been conducted, has been set out at length in the Chapter on ‘Methodology’. An attempt has been made to formulate the concept of backwardness, which has been discus­ sed in Chapter II. Several factors have to be taken into consideration in determining the backwardness of a class or a group; many of these factors were of a complex nature and we had to spend long hours of study and discussion before reaching a conclusion. We do realize the possibility and scope for another view in some marginal cases. We have, however, made our best effort to appreciate the material from all points of view. We have given in brief outline the dominant characteristics of classes, groups which we have included in the list of Other Backward Classes in Chapter IV. 4. The study of backwardness reveals the stupendous nature of the problem and the necessity of dealing with it on a long term basis. Mere extension of financial assistance and reservation of seats in educational institutions and public services for the Back­ ward Classes will not afford a permanent solution of the problem. 11 More extensive and curative measures will be required to be taken. We have, therefore, recommended the creation of a Backward Class Board, which will study the effects of the measures suggested by us and suggest ways and means suitable to changing social environment; Much will also depend upon the way in which these measures are imple­ mented, and it would be one of the functions of the Board to see that the decisions taken in pursuance of the Report are implemented properly and without delay. 5. The Report and recommendations are based on the unanimous decision of all the Members, each Member of the Commission having carefully applied his mind to every Chapter individually as well as colle­ ctively. 6. We are gretaful to Government for giving us an opportunity of studying such a complicated problem of great interest and public utility and hope that Government will be pleased to take early steps to imple­ ment our recommendations. Sincerely Yours, Sd/- A. R. BAKSHI Sd/- C. N. VAKIL Sd/- TARA PATEL Sd/- K. C. SAGAR Sd/- B. D. JOSHI Accompaniment : Report of the Socially and Educationally Backward Class Commission in original in two volumes. CONTENTS P ages Prologue .. .. .. .. .. Introduction .. .. .. .. .. 1 Backwardness; nature and importance of the problem .. 1 Backward Class Commission, Government of India .. .. 2 Commissions or Committees of similar nature in other States 3 Starte Committee’s Report on “Classification of Backward Classes” in Bombay Presidency .. .. .. 3 The Backward Class Investigating Committee in Saurashtra 3 Deshmukh Committee’s Report on “Reservation for Backward Classes in the services” in Maharashtra State .. .. 4 G.Kumara Pillai Commission for “Reservation of seats in Edu­ cational Institutions” in Kerala .. .. .. 6 Nettur P. Damodaran Commission’s Report on “Reservation for Backward Classes” in Kerala .. .. .. 6 The Commission for Guajarat State .. .. .. 6 Members of the Commission .. .. .. 7 Administrative Staff" of the Commission .. .. 8 Survey Staff- of the Commission .. •. .. 8 Structure of the Report .. .. .. .. 11 Chapter I. Historical Background Study of historical background .. .. .. 13 Social stratification and hierarchy .. .. .. 13 The Caste system in India .. .. .. 13 Untouchable Class .. .. .. .. 14 Untouchabiity, the chief test for classifying Depressed Class 14 The Scheduled Caste .. .. .. .. 14 The Scheduled Tribe .. .. .. .. 15 Common features of Scheduled Tribes ,, ,, 16 u P ages De-notified communities .. .. .. .. 16 Objectives of the Criminal Tribes Act 17 The population of ex-criminal Tribes .. .. 18 Nomades .. .. .. ... 18 Other Backward Classes .. .. ... 18 Pre-Constitution and Post-Constitution position .. 20 apter II. Concept of Backwardness Difficulty of defining Backwardness .. .. , 21 The criteria adopted by the Backward Classes Commission, 1953 21 Contents of the Concept of Backwardness 24 Conditions prevailing in the State to be considered 24 The Concept of equality .. .. .. 24 Main contents of the concept .. .. 25 Social Backwardness .. .. .. 25 Factors leading to Social Backwardness .. 29 Conventional mode of life .. .. .. 29 Illiteracy .. .. .. .. 30 Poverty .. • .. .. .. 30 Occupational factors .. ,» , .. 30 Representation in public services .. .. 31 Social Status .. .. .. .. 32 Environmental factors .. .. .. 32 Mode of living, customs and beliefs .. 32 Educational Backwardness .. .. .. 33 The Caste system .. .. .. 35 Backwardness in other ways .. .. 37 Means test .. .. .. .. • • 38 lit P ages Chapter III Methodology Introduction .. .. .. .. .. 39 Various methodological approaches .. .. .. 40 Advisory Committee .. .. .. .. 41 Sub-committee of Experts .. .. .. 41 Study of the secondary sources (published as well as other) of data.. .. .. .. .. .. 42 Representations made by the social workers and/or leaders of castes/classes/groups/sections/ communities of people .. 43 Questionnaire No. 2 .. .. .. .. 43 Information and opinion obtained from the District level officials. .. .. .. .. .. 44 Questionnaire No. 1 .. .. .. .. 44 Opinions of social scientists regarding the empirical criteria for determining educational and social backwardness as well as the quantative method to be followed for arriving at a composite index .. .. .. .. 44 Questionnaire No. 3 .. .. .. .. 44 Opinions of the MPs/MLAs/social workers and other knowle­ dgeable persons .. .. .. .. .. 45 Questionnaire No. 4 .. .. .. .. 45 Data regarding enrolment of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward class/communities in the primary, secondary and higher institutions of learning .. .. 46 Questionnaire Nos. 6 & 7 .. .. .. .. 46 Visits to tribal areas, local inspection of sites .. .. 48 State-wide socio-economic household sample survey .. 49 Sampling plan of the State-wide socio-economic household sample survey .. .. .. .. ., 4q Data collection instrument- Questionnaire No. 5 .. .. 50 Four regions of data collection operation ,, .. 50 k IV P ages Coding of data at Ahmedabad .. .. .. 51 Computerisation and analysis of the data .. .. 51 Caution to be exercised for interpretation of the household sample survey data .. .. .. .. 52 Chapter IV. Determination of Backwardness Preliminary .. .. .. .. .. 54 The decisions .. .. ... .. .. 54 List of castes/classes/groups considered as socially and educa­ tionally backward .. ... .. ...... 55 Agri .. .. .. .. .; 59 Ahir or Ayar .. .. .. .. .. 59 Bafan .. .. .. .. .. 60 Barot (Vahivancha Charan Gadhvi) .. .. .. 60 Bavcha .. .. .. .. .. 61 Bavri or Baori ,,, .. .. .. .. 62 Bawa .. .. .. .. .. 62 Bhalia .. .. .. .. .. 64 Bhamta .. .. .. .. .. 64 Bharwad .. .. .. .. .. 65 Bhils of Rajkot division of the old Saurashtra State .. 66 Bhoi .. .... .... 67 Charan Gadhvi .. .. .. .. 67 Chhara (Sansi, Adodia) .. .. .. .. 68 Chunara .. .. .. .. .. 68 Chuvaliya Koli .. .. .. ... 69 Dabgar .. .. .. .. 69 Divecha Koli .. .. .. .. .. 70 D afer.. .... .. .. .. 70 Dhobi-. ' ,, ,, ,, 71 V PagSSS Faquir or Fakir .. .. .. .. 71 Gadhai .. .. .. .. .. 72 Gadalia or Gadi Luharia .. .. .. 72 Galiara .. .. .. .. 73 Ghanchi (Muslim) .. .. .. .. 73 Ghedia Koli .. .. .. .. .. 74 Gola Rana .. .. .. .... 74 Hingora .. .. .. .. .. 75 Julaya (Garana) .. .. .. .. .. 75 Jat (Muslim) .. .. .. .. .. 76 Kaikadi .. .. .. .. .. 76 Kambadia Bhagat .. .. .. .. 77 Kangasia .. .. .. .. .. 77 Khatki or Kassai .. .. .. .... 78 Khatik .. .. .. .. .. 78 Khant .. .. .. .. .. 79 Kharwa .. .. .. .. .. 79 Gujarati Khristi .. .. .. .. .. 80 Kolis .. .. .. .. ... 80 Labana .. .. .. .. ..80 Lodha .. .. .. .. .. 81 Mir .. .. .. .. .. .. 81 Machhi .. .. .. .. .. 82 Madari (Nath, Bharathari)