The Maharashtra government has accepted all the demands of the Marathas to facilitate their inclusion in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The OBCs, however, are not happy that the Marathas will get a share of the reservation pie. Banasree Purkayastha analyses how the latest move could affect the political equilibrium in the state
Bringing Marathas under the OBC umbrella
Last week, the Maharashtra government declared that Kunbi caste certificates would be issued to the Marathas to facilitate their inclusion in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, himself a Maratha, declared that until the community secured reservation, they would receive all the benefits enjoyed by the OBCs. With this, pro-Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil who had been leading the current agitation for Maratha reservation ended his fast. Kunbis are classified as OBC.
A notification was issued to recognise as Kunbis all blood relatives of the Maratha community members whose Kunbi caste records were identified. 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 been already issued Kunbi certificates.
Why OBCs are opposing the move
However, OBC organisations are not happy with the Marathas getting a share of the OBC reservation pie. The reason behind this is that while the latest formula finds a solution without breaching the 50% limit set by the Supreme Court, it allows Marathas to claim reservation under the 27% OBC quota. So there will be more contenders not just for government jobs and seats in higher educational institutions reserved for OBCs, but also for OBC-reserved seats in local civil bodies. State minister Chhagan Bhujbal has said that the notification gives a backdoor entry to the Marathas.
Led by Bhujbal, they have announced a statewide agitation in Maharashtra to demand the scrapping of the new notification, termination of the issuance of Kunbi certificates to Marathas, and the scrapping of the Maharashtra State Commission for Backward Classes and the Justice Shinde committee. They have also called on scheduled castes and scheduled tribes to join them in opposing the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category.
Origins of the Maratha agitation
The Marathas, comprising 33% of the state’s population, encompass a group of castes comprising peasants and landowners, and are among the most influential and politically significant communities in Maharashtra. They have been demanding reservations in government jobs and educational institutions since the 1960s. The issue gained significant attention in 2004 when Maratha-Kunbis and Kunbi-Marathas were included in the list of OBCs but those who identified as Marathas were left out.
In 2014, the Prithviraj Chavan-led state government passed an ordinance to grant 16% reservation to the Marathas in government jobs and education, but it was challenged before the Bombay High Court, which stayed its implementation. To get around this impasse, in 2018, the then Devendra Fadnavis government enacted the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018, granting the 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”. It reduced the quota to 12% in education and 13% in government jobs, as recommended by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission. After the High Court verdict was challenged in the Supreme Court, in 2021 a five-judge Constitution Bench of the SC struck down the SEBC Act, 2018. The state government then filed a review petition in the apex court which was rejected in April 2023. Following this, a curative plea was filed.
Is this the end of the reservation stir?
While Jarange-Patil has ended his fast, he issued a veiled warning by saying he will wait to see the first Kunbi (OBC) certificate issued to a Maratha before calling off his agitation. For Shinde, the agitation presented an opportunity to build his own vote base but legal hurdles in bringing the Marathas under the OBC umbrella cannot be ruled out.
Union minister Narayan Rane has warned that giving reservations to the Marathas under the OBC category would encroach on the rights of OBCs and lead to unrest in the state. Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Mahasangh wants the OBC quota itself to be raised to 42%. Conceding to the demands of the Marathas has disturbed the political equilibrium in the state and the BJP; this is unlikely to be the last chapter in the reservation story.