Sachin scores over Thackeray, Pawar, Anna

Mumbai: Sachin Tendulkar has been voted as the most dynamic Maharashtrian by a survey conducted in the city recently. If around 12% respondents rated Sachin as the most dynamic Maharashtrian, Balasaheb Thackeray and Sharad Pawar missed the coveted tag by one notch. The recent face of "divisive" regional politics, Raj Thackeray, who snatched the Marathi manoos plank from his uncle and Shiv Sena supremo, was ranked third with a paltry 7% votes. Other notable nominees for the coveted tag were Shivaji Maharaj, Vilasrao Deshmukh and Anna Hazare.
Among other startling facts that came forth during the survey -- conducted by students of the Rotaract Club of NM College -- includes that around 1/3 people, living in the city for the past 25 years, don't know that Maharashtra Day is celebrated on May 1.
The main motto of the survey was to find how much do people really know about the state and what do they feel about their city. 12 students of NM College interviewed around 524 people from different age groups and professions such as housewives, students, employees and businessmen in the last fortnight. The survey, which covered areas from Kalyan to CST and Virar to Churchgate, got some astounding yet candid answers.

The questionnaire included: When is Maharashtra Day? For how many years have you been staying in Mumbai? What is the most promising change you have seen since then? What do you think attracts people to Mumbai? Rate corruption in Maharashtra. Should Mumbai be made a separate state/union territory? What is special about Maharashtra? Who is the most dynamic Maharashtrian? Has inflation in India affected you and name the one thing that symbolises Mumbai and Maharashtra.
Shrey Jain, president of Rotract Club of NM College and third year BCom student, said, the survey called Jai Maharashtra was conducted by students aged between 16 and 19 years. They had prepared a brief questionnaire, which had eight questions in total. The survey was conducted at workplaces, malls, local trains, shops and colleges.
Taking strong exception to people's ignorance about the state and city, Isha Ayar, another member of the club, said, "Many people staying here don't respect our city and don't know its history. It is very important to respect the place where you stay and know its history and geography." According to the survey findings, only 65.72% people knew that Maharashtra Day is celebrated on May 1, the rest either did not know the correct date or had no clue about it.
Around 32% interviewees said that the Mumbai's food symbolises the city, while 27.20% thought is local trains, 17.87% voted for the sea link, 12.32% vouched for the city's night life. A staggering 48.28% people answered in the affirmative when asked if Mumbai should be made a separate state or a union territory.
Around 30% people come to the city as it provides better job opportunities, while 17.63 % said welcoming nature of the Mumbaikars attract outsiders. A skeletal 5.6% respondents said that Bollywood and the glamour quotient attracted them to the maximum city.
When asked to rate corruption in the state, around 66% people said graft was at its peak in the state. People are so upset with the string of corruption in the state that around 1/3 respondents termed corruption the most special thing of Maharashtra when asked about the most striking feature of the state. On inflation, 79.47% people agreed that inflation had affected their day-to-day life.