Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil is exerting considerable pressure on the BJP-led Mahayuti government, demanding that the state declare the entire Maratha caste as an Other Backward Class (OBC) so that they can enjoy reservation benefits in education and employment.
What exactly is Jarange-Patil asking and why is it difficult to grant his demands?
Who are the Marathas?
The Marathas are a caste broadly identified as a warrior and peasant caste, who were historically soldiers, ministers and landlords, as well as agriculturists. They are considered a politically significant community in Maharashtra, comprising 28% of the state's population.
Who are the Kunbis?
The Kunbis are a peasant sub-caste of the Marathas. They were added to the OBC category due to their relatively low socio-economic status and benefit from reservations. For decades, there were several sections among the Marathas who insisted they were not Kunbis.
What does Jarange-Patil want?
Jarange-Patil wants the government to issue 'Kunbi certificates' to all Marathas, so that the entire community can be classified as OBC and then benefit from reservations.
Most Marathas were recorded as Kunbis in British-era educational and revenue records, he says, pointing to the Hyderabad Gazette as evidence. He says it's the same in the Bombay Gazette, Satara Princely State Gazette and Aundh Gazette.
{{/usCountry}}Most Marathas were recorded as Kunbis in British-era educational and revenue records, he says, pointing to the Hyderabad Gazette as evidence. He says it's the same in the Bombay Gazette, Satara Princely State Gazette and Aundh Gazette.
{{/usCountry}}Jarang-Patil also wants Kunbi certificates for every Maratha with Kunbi antecedents as well as their blood relatives and relatives from marriage in the same caste.
Why the Shinde Committee is important
A committee headed by Justice Sandeep Shinde (Retd) was set up in September 2023 by the state government to look for Kunbi references in the various gazettes. While examining Nizam-era documents, or the Hyderabad Gazette, and the Satara Gazette, it has found documents on 58 lakh families. On the basis of this, the state government has issued Kunbi certificates to 2.39 lakh Marathas.
Jarange-Patil is prepared to give the government two more months to examine the Bombay and Aundh gazettes but he wants the government to start issuing Kunbi certificates based on the Hyderabad and Satara gazettes, with immediate effect.
The government's stand
The government is currently exploring the demand that the gazettes be accepted as evidence that Marathas and Kunbis are one and the same. On Saturday, the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation gave in-principle approval to the implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette.
Reservations for Marathas
In February last year, the state enacted the Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) Act, granting 10% reservation to Marathas. This was based on findings that Marathas, who account for 28% of the state's population, faced "'exceptional and extraordinary" backwardness. However, it breached the 50% cap imposed by the Supreme Court on overall reservations to various castes and communities in the state. Since the figure in Maharashtra already stood at 62%, reservations would now be 72%. The 10% Maratha reservation has been challenged in the Bombay High Court.
If the Marathas are granted OBC status, this would reduce the representation of the other OBCs.