Marathas who possess Nizam-era documents will be given Kunbi caste certificates: Maharashtra govt

ओबीसी बांधवांवर अन्याय्य न करता, त्यांच्या आरक्षणाला कुठलाही धक्का न लावता मराठा समाजाला आरक्षण दिले जाणार आहे, असे मुख्यमंत्री @mieknathshinde यांनी आज स्पष्ट केले.
‘वर्षा’ शासकीय निवासस्थानी रात्री उशिरा मुख्यमंत्र्यांनी माध्यम प्रतिनिंधीशी संवाद साधला, त्यावेळी ते बोलत होते.

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) September 6, 2023

The decision comes days after police lathicharge on protesters in Jalna on September 1. The incident led to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis offering his apology to the protesters on behalf of the government.

Announcing the decision on Kunbi caste certificate after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Shinde said, “After taking note of the protest led by Manoj Jarange-Patil and his demand that those who have old Nizam-era documents should be given the Kunbi caste certificate, the cabinet committee took the decision… those who have old revenue or educational certificates of Nizam era would get the Kunbi caste certificate.”

The Kunbi community Maharashtra is associated with agriculture related occupation and are grouped under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in the state. Giving Marathas Kunbi caste certificates would mean that Marathas would be counted as OBCs and would get the benefit of reservation that OBCs get.

The CM added that the government has formed a five-member committee under retired Justice Sandeep Shinde “to prepare a standard operating procedure to verify the old documents” within a month. The previous committee under revenue department will assist this committee and “a Government Resolution (GR) is being issued for the same”, Shinde said.

“The committee will contact officials in Hyderabad for these old documents and their verification. I will also contact the CM of the state. The committee will resolve the issues. A government resolution for giving the Kunbi certificates to those who have the old Nizam-era documents will be issued,” Shinde added.

Adding that the government is committed to give reservation to Maratha community, Shinde also appealed to Patil, who has been on a hunger strike demanding OBC status for Marathas in Marathwada, to cooperate with the government and call off his strike at the earliest. He also appealed Patil to provide the old documents, if they have, to the newly formed committee.

On September 1, police lathicharged Maratha quota protesters in Ambad tehsil of Jalna, leading to an outrage across the state. Opposition leaders who rushed to the protest site accused the government of using unnecessary force and prompted the government to send the superintendent of police on leave, while suspending his subordinate officer. Amid demands of resignation of Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who is in charge of the state Home Department, issued an apology on behalf of the government on September 4.

After the announcement by Shinde, Shiv Sena (Shinde group) leader Arjun Khotkar met Patil at Antarwali village in Jalna Wednesday evening and requested him to call off the strike. Jarange-Patil said that he will take a decision on it on Thursday morning.

Earlier in the day, Patil had said that Marathas already come under the OBC list and that the Marathas and Kunbis are the same. He also offered to provide the documents required to provide Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas from Marathwada.

“Whatever they need, be it documents or experts, we are willing to provide them to the government. We have got the documents from the same place from where they will be getting it. If we are already providing all the required proofs then there is no need for extra time. The government should issue the ordinance,” Jarange said.

On Monday, the government held a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation in the wake of state wide protests. It also decided to hold the next cabinet meeting in Marathwada, which has witnessed violence over the Maratha quota.

A committee under the chairmanship of State Minister for Forest, Cultural Affairs, Fisheries, Sudhir Mungantiwar, has been formed to decide on the issues from Marathwada and other regions of the state.

Who are Kunbis

When Marathwada was part of the Hyderabad province, the community in the region was counted as Kunbis (farmer community). After the Marathwada region became part of Maharashtra, the community got counted as Marathas.

In 1967, Punjab Rao Deshmukh demanded OBC status for Marathas of Vidarbha region and in 2004, the Maharashtra government issued a GR giving Kunbi status to Marathas of that region.

Now Marathas of Marathwada region are demanding Kunbi caste certificate and the government has told them to provide documents to prove their Kunbi status during Nizam era.