‘Marathwada Marathas must be declared Kunbis’, says Jarange-Patil as reservation stalemate continues

Mumbai, Aug 30 The stalemate over the implementation of the Maratha reservation between activist Manoj Jarange Patil and the Maharashtra government continued on Saturday.

The talks between Jarange-Patil and the government delegation, comprising Justice Sandeep Shinde, failed to arrive at any agreement.

Justice Shinde told Jarange-Patil that the state government has given an in-principle approval to implement the Hyderabad Gazette, and the committee will now meet the Cabinet subcommittee to take the discussion further.

However, Jarange-Patil insisted that the government must declare all Marathas of Marathwada as Kunbis and should be given reservations.

Hyderabad Gazette is an order/gazette issued by the then Hyderabad Nizamshahi government in 1918. At that time, the Maratha community was in the minority in the Hyderabad state, and it was noted that they were being neglected in power and jobs.

Therefore, the Nizam's government issued an order giving reservations (some reservations) in educational and job opportunities to the Maratha community under the name "Hindu Maratha".

Jarange-Patil, who has launched an indefinite fast demanding reservation to the Maratha community from the OBC quota, said the Justice Shinde committee had already studied gazettes related to the issue for the past 13 months, and now it was time for the panel to submit its report to pave the way for Marathas to get Kunbi status.

He has demanded that Marathas be recognised as Kunbis - an agrarian caste included in the OBC category - which will make them eligible for reservation in government jobs and education.

"Marathas in Marathwada must be declared as Kunbis and given the reservation. The Hyderabad and Satara gazettes must be made into law for this," Jarange-Patil said.

After meeting with the government-appointed delegation comprising Justice Shinde, the Konkan Divisional Commissioner, and General Administration Department Secretary accompanied by other members of the Shinde Committee, Jarange-Patil refused to withdraw the hunger strike.

He said that the government should have come to the discussion, adding that the government is unnecessarily harassing the Shinde Committee, pushing them forward.

“We have told them that the Marathas and Kunbis in Marathwada are the same. The documents of the Satara and Hyderabad States say the same. We have requested that the cases against the protesters who were registered during the agitation for Maratha reservation be withdrawn,” he said.

He further demanded that the family members of those who sacrificed their lives in the agitation should be given government jobs and financial assistance.

“We have told the government that it has been proven that Marathas and Kunbis in Marathwada and western Maharashtra are one. Implement it. They are saying that we will call a meeting of the state cabinet. We had given 13 months for all this,” he said.

The pro-Maratha activist said that the government should issue a notification that Marathas and Kunbis are one and, he will immediately withdraw the agitation.

“Immediately implement the gazetteer of Satara and Hyderabad states, we will not give even a minute for it. But, we will give two months for the gazetteer of Aundh and the Bombay Government,” he said.

Responding to Jarange-Patil’s demand, Justice Shinde said he wasn't authorised to give such a report. It was the job of the backward class commission, Shinde said.

“Caste certificate is given to individuals and not the entire community," he expressed.

Jarange-Patil also criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for deputing retired judge Sandeep Shinde to hold talks with him.

“It is not Justice Shinde’s job to issue the government resolution declaring Marathas and Kunbis as the same. It is an insult to the government, Raj Bhavan and the state to send Justice Shinde here," he noted.

The Justice Shinde committee has been given a mandate to study the records of the former Hyderabad and Bombay states, where Marathas are sometimes mentioned as Kunbis.

Initially appointed for the region of Marathwada, its scope was later extended to cover the entire state.

--IANS

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