OBC and Kunbi outfits to start indefinite agitation from September 10

Various outfits belonging to the Maratha and Kunbi communities in Mumbai have joined forces to protest the state government's move to integrate Marathas as Kunbis in the Other Backward Class (OBC) quota. They have decided to stage a state-wide agitation if the government goes ahead with its plan. The leaders have decided to stage an indefinite sit-in protest beginning Sunday until the government assures them that it will not go ahead with the reservation. The Kunbi community fears losing its reservation to the Marathas altogether.

MUMBAI Irked by the state government’s move to integrate Marathas as Kunbis in the Other Backward Class (OBC) quota, various outfits belonging to the two categories have joined forces and decided to stage a state-wide agitation if the government goes ahead with its plan.

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In an all-party meeting (participated by community members from BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) in Nagpur on Friday, the leaders have decided to stage an indefinite sit-in protest, beginning Sunday, in the city’s Samvidhan Chowk, until the government assures them that it will not go ahead with the reservation. Both communities have opposed the demand by the Marathas, led by Jalna-based activist, Manoj Jarange-Patil, to provide them Kunbi caste certificates so that they may benefit from the reservation in education and government jobs.

The Kunbis have been a worried lot since the government announced on Wednesday that Marathas who can furnish Nizam-era records that declared them as Kunbis at the time, will be given the certificates; this especially applies to Marathas from Marathwada. The government has also constituted a committee under a retired judge, Sandeep Shinde, to formulate guidelines for verifying the records. The community feels threatened and fears losing its reservation to the Marathas altogether.

At the Nagpur meet, attended by OBC Mahasangh president Baban Taywade, the members decided to protest the government’s blanket reservation. “The Marathas are a separate community and cannot be incorporated as a sub-caste in the OBC. If the government is doing this under pressure, we will oppose them,” Taywade said.

On the other hand, the Kunbi outfits are considering a legal battle if the government ignores their voice. Kunbis are bifurcated in 22 sub-castes and leaders from the community’s various political outfits participated in the meet. Naresh Barde, a Kunbi leader from Nagpur, said two resolutions were drawn up at the meeting. “The agitation will continue until we are assured in writing that they will not give Kunbi certificates to all Marathas and the existing OBC quota will not be touched to provide reservation to them,” he said.

Taywade added that both outfits are in talks with other leaders within the communities to join them. “We have to come together to save our rights guaranteed by the constitution,” he said.