Statistics Deceive - Psephologists Delude

I wonder if its politicians or psephologists whom we should blame for perpetrating more casteism in the society. I read the following in an article on inclusive development in Hindustan Times last month -

About 88 per cent of India’s SC/STs belong to this group of poor and vulnerable. Similarly, about 85 per cent of all Muslims other than the SC/STs and 80 per cent of all OBCs except Muslims are poor and vulnerable, living below per capita consumption of Rs 20 per day. Only 1 per cent of SC/STs, 2.4 per cent of OBCs other than Muslims, 2.2 per cent of Muslims other than SC/STs belong to the high income rich group, of having a per capita consumption above Rs 93 per day. Further, 86 per cent of all illiterate and 79 per cent of all those who received education below primary level belong to this group. This shows congruence of all those people in India who are poor, deprived and discriminated.

The last line is a clever piece of interpretation. Is it "people who are poor and deprived and discriminated" or is it "people who are poor and deprived are discriminated"? I think it is the latter - but the author makes you feel it is the former.

To make it clearer, it is not because of one's caste (and hence being discriminated) that one is backward - rather since one is backward hence is discriminated. This is a common error of reversing the principle of causality and a clever ploy often employed by politicians and psephologists alike. [Another example of such error highlighted here.]

In effect, while my interpretation would lead to a conclusion that affirmative action (read: reservations etc) should be given on the basis of socio-economic status of the individual, the interpretation by the author leads to a conclusion that affirmative on casteist lines should continue.

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