Amid the ongoing quota controversy, state minister and senior OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Wednesday expressed concern that if Marathas are granted blanket Kunbi OBC certificates, the distinct identity of the Maratha community in Maharashtra would be lost. The Kunbi community, traditionally associated with agriculture, is currently categorized under Other Backward Classes (OBC) in Maharashtra, enjoying reservation benefits in education and government jobs.
Activist Manoj Jarange and the Maratha community have been advocating for the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category to avail themselves of quota benefits. The Maharashtra government has initiated the process of issuing Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas with revenue or education documents from the Nizam era recognizing them as Kunbis.
Responding to concerns about the impact on OBC reservations, Bhujbal remarked sarcastically, "I feel now that there is no need to do anything else because all Maratha community members are taking Kunbi certificates and getting included in the OBC category. Hence, no Maratha will be left in Maharashtra as all of them are becoming Kunbis. I think there is no need for any other solution."
Addressing questions about the curative petition in the Supreme Court challenging the May 2021 judgment that struck down Maharashtra's legislation providing reservation for the Maratha community, Bhujbal reiterated, "Whether you file a curative petition or introduce another bill, when everyone is turning Kunbis and becoming part of the OBC category, then who will be left out?"
The upcoming winter session of the Maharashtra legislature, scheduled from December 7 to 20 in Nagpur, will deliberate on various issues, with Maratha reservation standing out as a prominent topic of discussion.