If there are flaws in GR, will get it revised, Jarange assures Marathas
Maratha leaders and experts have dismissed the GR isssued on Tuesday “of no use”, arguing that it adds nothing new to the existing process of granting Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas.
Jarange ended his five-day hunger strike in Mumbai on Tuesday after the state government accepted most of his demands, including granting Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas — making them eligible for quota in education and jobs available to Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
Amid doubts raised by activists and members of the Maratha community over the government resolution (GR) granting Kunbi status to Marathas of Marathwada, activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Wednesday appealed to his supporters to remain calm and assured them that he would seek revisions in the GR if shortcomings or flaws are found.
“Members of the Maratha community will now get reservation in Marathwada and western Maharashtra through this GR. Some people may feel uncomfortable, but you must remain peaceful and patient. If you think there is an issue or some problem in the GR that won’t benefit the Marathas, we will get it revised from the government,” said Jarange Patil on Wednesday while speaking to reporters from a private hospital where he is undergoing treatment for dehydration and low blood sugar.
Maratha leaders and experts have dismissed the GR isssued on Tuesday “of no use”, arguing that it adds nothing new to the existing process of granting Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas. They said earlier too, certificates were issued on the basis of genealogical records, and the Hyderabad Gazette offers no fresh proof of Kunbi ancestry. According to them, only those already possessing documentary evidence will benefit, leaving out a large section of Marathas.
Activist Vinod Patil, who has been pursuing court cases on Maratha quota, called the GR “completely useless”. “The truth is, not a single certificate will come out of this GR. Those without documentary proof of Kunbi lineage will never gain anything. Our demand was for those Marathas who do not have any certificate to be granted OBC status because of the current challenging conditions. This demand is not at all met by this GR,” he said.
Jarange ended his five-day hunger strike in Mumbai on Tuesday after the state government accepted most of his demands, including granting Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas — making them eligible for quota in education and jobs available to Other Backward Classes (OBCs). He had called off the agitation at Azad Maidan in the presence of senior BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation.
The government resolution, based on the Hyderabad Gazetteers, provides for a committee to facilitate issuance of Kunbi certificates to Marathas able to establish documentary evidence of Kunbi ancestry. A village-level mechanism will be put in place to help families trace records.
Jarange dismissed those criticising the move as “joker-type” individuals who had “done nothing for the community”. “People should not believe in such individuals. So far, I had chosen not to respond to criticism. Now, we will reply. Not a single line had been written by the state government in our favour till now. All the work is being done by me… The community will eventually understand my decision to call off the agitation,” he said, adding that local committees would help families establish their Kunbi lineage.
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On NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who has opposed Maratha quota under OBC and skipped the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Jarange said: “He is a clever leader. It also means that the Maratha community has succeeded in getting reservation.”
He further claimed that attempts to legally challenge the GR would not succeed. “The petitions will be dismissed as the GR is based on a government document like a gazette,” he said.
Vallabh Ozarkar is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized as an authoritative and deeply knowledgeable voice on the politics, governance, and infrastructure of Maharashtra. With more than nine years of experience in major news organizations, his reporting delivers high standards of Expertise and Trustworthiness.
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