Three years ago, a lathicharge on a group of quota protestors in Antarwali Sarathi village, Jalna, springboarded the little-known campaigner Manoj Jarange Patil into becoming the face of the Maratha reservation stir, making the issue became crucial to state politics.
Since September 1, 2023, Jarange has staged 11 hunger strikes and led two marches to Mumbai. As his latest indefinite hunger strike in Jalna entered its seventh day on Friday, a delegation of state ministers met him twice to
Pitching for OBC inclusion
As Jarange’s equity strengthened over the last three years, and as the government agreed to provide a dedicated quota for the Maratha community, he pitched for the community’s inclusion in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category by issuing Kunbi certificates, as it would be a challenge to get a separate quota approved in a court of law.
“The government was compelled to constitute a committee headed by retired Justice Sandeep Shinde to trace Kunbi records of the Maratha community from the Nizam and pre-Independence eras, to pick out the eligible Marathas who could access the OBC quota,” said a revenue department official.
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Officials say that if the quota is struck down on the grounds that it breaches the 50% reservation ceiling, the community could intensify its demand for inclusion in the OBC category.
“The social and educational backwardness of the community has already been established by the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission. If Marathas are included in the OBC category, the community could also become eligible for political reservation in local body elections,” the official said.
Maratha-OBC rift
The government’s decision to accept the Maratha community’s demand for inclusion in the OBC quota irked the OBC community. OBC leaders, spearheaded by NCP leader and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal, strongly opposed the government’s move. The dispute between the two communities widened, leading to social boycotts against members of each community. OBC leader Laxman Hake launched a counter protest opposing the government’s stand.
Apart from a reservation for the community, the activist has also championed for greater funding for the Annasaheb Patil Economic Development Corporation, scholarships for Maratha students and withdrawal of cases filed against protesters. He started with a demand of Kunbi certificates for Marathas in Marathwada on the basis of the Hyderabad Gazetteer. Once that was approved, he expanded the demand for across the state demanding the implementation of Kolhapur and Satara Gazetters.
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Virendra Pawar, coordinator of Sakal Maratha Samaj, which played a key role in organising the 58 silent marches, described the past three years as a period of significant gains for the movement. “Every time he (Jarange) sat on an indefinite hunger strike the movement moved forward. Despite the aggressive nature of the agitations, not a single life was lost. He believes that no battle should be given up,” he said.
