Maratha activist Manoj Jarange calls off protest over reservation issue: 5 points

👉 Here are five things to know about the Maratha Reservation Issue:

📌 History of the agitation:

The Marathas are a group of castes comprising peasants and landowners among others constituting nearly one-third of Maharashtra’s population.

Since the establishment of the Maharashtra state in 1960, 12 out of its 20 chief ministers, including Eknath Shinde, have belonged to the Maratha community.

The Marathas have been demanding reservations in government jobs and educational institutions for a long time with their first protest taking place 32 years ago. It was led by Mathadi Labour Union leader Annasaheb Patil, and took place in Mumbai.

In 2014, the state government led by Prithviraj Chavan passed an ordinance, following the recommendations of the Narayan Rane Committee, to grant 16 percent reservation to the Maratha community in government jobs and education.

However, the ordinance was challenged before the Bombay High Court, which stayed its implementation in 2014.

In 2018, the then Devendra Fadnavis government enacted the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018, that granted Marathas 16% reservation in government jobs and education.

In June 2019, the Bombay High Court upheld the SEBC Act but ruled that the 16% quota was not “justifiable”. The court therefore reduced the quota to 12% in education and 13% in government jobs, as recommended by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC).

After the High Court verdict was challenged in the Supreme Court, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the SC struck down the SEBC Act, 2018. According to the bench “no extraordinary circumstances were made out in granting” the “separate reservation… by exceeding the 50% ceiling limit of reservation … ” set by the 1992 Indra Sawhney (Mandal) judgment.

The Maharashtra government, then run by the Maha Vikas Aghadi, filed a review petition in the apex court which was rejected in April 2023. Following this, a curative plea was filed

📌 How Jarange Patil came into limelight?

Originally hailing from Beed, Patil is said to have shifted to Ambad in Jalna to make a living starting off by working in a hotel. While he began his political journey as a Congress activist, Patil later parted ways with the party to establish the Shivba Sanghatna, dedicated to empowering the Maratha community.

While most of his protests on the Maratha reservation issue did not find resonance beyond Jalna district, it was only in September 2023.

On September 29, Patil along with seven other activists sat on a hunger strike seeking reservation for his community.

Tensions escalated after a large police contingent descended at the protest site stating that Patil’s condition was deteriorating and he needed to be shifted to a government hospital. But Patil’s supporters insisted that he get checked by a private doctor.

However, violence erupted after the police allegedly forcefully moved in to take Patil into custody. Maratha activists had also complained that a large number of protestors were beaten up by the police.

📌 Jarange’s demands and what the government notification states:

Jarange has been demanding Kunbi certificates for all Marathas. Kunbi, an agrarian community, falls in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

On Friday, the leader also said that the government should amend its free education policy to include all Marathas until the benefit of reservation becomes available for the entire community.

Last night, CM Eknath Shinde had convened meetings with officials to deliberate on Jarange’s demands and subsequently, a delegation was dispatched late in the night with a draft ordinance to meet Patil.

On Saturday the Maharashtra government issued a notification to recognise as Kunbis all blood relatives of the Maratha community members whose Kunbi caste records have been found.

According to the notification the Kunbi caste certificates will be issued upon submission of an affidavit by the applicant establishing relations with his blood relatives – uncle, nephew and other members of his family as well as “patriarchal” relatives, who have found Kunbi records being the applicants’ “sage soyare” (blood relatives).

After conducting a field inquiry and verification, the Kunbi caste certificates will be issued immediately, it said.

The word ‘sage soyare’ includes relatives of the applicant’s father, grandfather, great grandfather and in earlier generations forming out of marriages within the same castes. This will include relations forming out of marriages within the same caste, it said.

📌 What did CM Shinde and Jarange Patil say after the protest ended?

After breaking his fast and ending the protest on Saturday, Maoj Jarange Patil said that the government should ensure certificates and Kunbi recognition to all 54 lakh people whose data has been found till now.

“Over 300 Marathas have lost their lives in the fight for reservation. It was our responsibility to ensure reservations to fulfil the demand after these sacrifices,” he said.

Patil said that he was proud that “the people of his caste followed discipline and ensured victory in the fight for Maratha reservation.”

“I assure you that there will be no fight between Marathas and OBCs, not now and never in future. We have shared cordial bonds for generations. I want to tell leaders to not create rifts among us. Marathas have never opposed any leader nor OBCs,” he said.

Patil also warned that he would launch his protest again and come back to Mumbai if the notification issued by the government is not followed.

Meanwhile, congratulating the Maratha community for a successful and peaceful protest, CM Eknath Shinde said: “This is a historic moment. This government is for the common people which belongs to the poor, farmers, and women. We have made decisions not for votes but for benefits.”

He said that the Maratha community will be given all the benefits given to OBCs till the whole reservation issue is sorted. “I give my word that all the promises made to Marathas will be fulfilled. No community will face any injustice while doing this,” said Shinde.

📌 Where do OBC groups stand on Maratha Reservation issue?

While the OBC Mahasangh has warned the state government of serious consequences if it agrees to Maratha reservation under the OBC category, the Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Mahasangh has said that the OBC quota itself should be raised beyond 27% to 42%.

“The OBC quota should be raised beyond 27% to 42%. This additional 15% quota can be used to accommodate Marathas within OBC,” said Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Mahasangh general secretary Sambhaji Dahatonde Patil.