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Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil told Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday that he should convene a special session of the state Assembly to provide “blanket reservation” to all Marathas and asserted that no “half-hearted” reservation will be accepted.
“We will not accept half-hearted reservation. The government should provide reservation to all Marathas. Whether they have Kunbi certificates or not, all Marathas should get the benefit of reservation,” Jarange-Patil told Shinde, who called him up early Tuesday morning. While the conversation lasted 20-25 minutes, Jarange-Patil subsequently held a press conference at Antarwali Sarathi village and revealed details of their interaction.
The agitation demanding reservation for the Maratha community has escalated into violence in Maharashtra with several incidents of arson and vandalism being reported on Monday.
“The government should convene a special session of the state legislature, accept the interim report of the Shinde Committee on reservation and provide reservation to all Marathas. The government should rely on the 2001 law and carry out changes in the 2004 government resolution,” he said.
Jarange-Patil spoke about providing Kunbi caste certificates to all Marathas – a demand he has been making consistently – after CM Shinde said on Monday that the Justice Sandeep Shinde committee interim report will be accepted by the Cabinet and the process of issuing Kunbi certificates to those with proof would be started. Shinde had said that in 11,530 cases, the Justice Shinde committee had found that there was Nizam-era proof of Kunbi antecedents of Marathas.
However, at the media interaction on Tuesday, Jarange-Patil insisted that Kunbi certificates should be given to all Marathas. “All Marathas should be given Kunbi certificates. Those who do not want to take Kunbi certificates, let them not take them. What is there to feel ashamed about Kunbi certificates? Kunbi means farming… Kunbis and Marathas are one and the same,” he said.
Jarange-Patil said that all sitting MLAs and MPs and former MLAs and MPs should gather in Mumbai to put pressure on the state government to provide reservation to the Maratha community. “What is the use of giving resignation? Instead, I have been saying, all Maratha MLAs and MPs should gather in Mumbai and persuade the government to provide reservation to the community,” he said.
Jarange-Patil also said that he has been appealing to the community to hold peaceful protests and not resort to violent means. “As of now, there is no bandh plan. Our agitation should be through a hunger strike…We should not go to the doorsteps of politicians and not allow them to come to you,” he said.
