Dharashiv man decides to return Kunbi caste certificate to govt

A member of the Maratha community from Dharashiv, Maharashtra, who was the inaugural recipient of a Kunbi caste certificate in the district as part of the ongoing survey, has chosen to return the document to the authorities, saying he wants all Marathas in the state to be given this benefit.

The man, Sumit Mane, was given the Kunbi caste certificate by the Dharashiv district authorities on Wednesday. Merely hours after accepting the certificate, he announced his intention to return it to the authorities. He emphasized that if the government was extending benefits to him alone while leaving his fellow community members deprived, he found this unacceptable.

Authorities in Dharashiv on Wednesday started distributing Kunbi caste certificates to the eligible Maratha community members, paving the way for their inclusion in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. I was given the Kunbi caste certificate on Wednesday. At that time, I told the district collector that if these certificates are given to the entire Maratha community, I will accept it or else I will either return it to the government or burn it, he said.

If the government is feeding only me and keeping my brothers hungry, it will not be acceptable to me. Give it (Kunbi certificate) to everyone, then I will accept it. Therefore, I have now decided to return it to the government, Mane added.

The Maharashtra cabinet had last month decided that Kunbi caste certificates will be issued to those Marathas hailing from Marathwada region who possess revenue or education documents from the Nizam era that recognise them as Kunbis.