State files affidavit in HC to push for Maratha quota

The government is under pressure owing to more than 20 silent rallies held across the state

The state government on Monday submitted a 2,300-odd page affidavit to the Bombay high court seeking reservation for the Maratha community. The affidavit contained documents substantiating its claim that the community is socially and economically backward. The high court is expected to hear the case on Wednesday.

The high court had stayed the 16% reservation granted to Marathas in jobs and education in 2014. (HT File Photo)

The government is under pressure owing to more than 20 silent rallies held across the state. The affidavit has annexures of historical documents dating back 350 years, Census reports submitted between 1781 and 1931, references from various books by Mahatma Phule, Dr BR Ambedkar and reports by the State Backward Class commissions.

The Bombay high court had stayed the 16% reservation granted to Marathas in jobs and education by the Congress-NCP government ahead of the elections in 2014 on grounds that the data used by the government was faulty.

It had pointed at the Supreme Court’s norm of capping reservation at 50%.

“We have claimed the Kunbi is similar to a gene, while Maratha is its species. As Kunbis have been part of the OBC, the Marathas, too, are natural claimants [for reservation]. We have also established that 60% of the farmers, who committed suicides in the state, belonged to the community,” said an official.

“We have attached four reports prepared by [the Pune-based] Gokhale Institute, establishing the facts related to various segments of the community, including sugar-cutters and migrant labourers, head loaders and help, proving the Marathas account for a majority in these sectors. The quantifiable data of 4.05 lakh families collected by the Rane committee is strong evidence, as no other state has collated such a huge data for any single community,” ,” said Shriram Pingle, senior counsel, representing the state Government in the high court.

“The documents include the papers submitted in the Madras high court in 1925, in a case related to the coronation of Shivaji, orders issued by Shahu Maharaj during his rule, references in Dr Ambedkar’s Who Were Shudras, and books by Jyotiba Phule.” He said the affidavit has the annexure of the various backward class commissions and comments by experts namely sociologist Gail Omvedt and SG Devgaonkar, who was a member of the Bapat commission.

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