All about Maratha reservation protests
What's the story
With the 2024 Lok Sabha elections approaching, the Maratha community's demand for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions has taken center stage in Maharashtra politics again.
Caught in a tug-of-war, the state government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena has convened an all-party meeting on Monday to discuss the issue, as protests have intensified over the past two weeks.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Historically identified as "warriors," the Marathas are a politically dominant community of Maharashtra, constituting around one-third of the state's population.
Since the state's formation in 1960, 12 out of 20 chief ministers, including incumbent Eknath Shinde, were from the Maratha community, which includes several agrarian caste groups ranging from peasants to landowners.
However, over the years, the Marathas' influence has diminished due to the division of land and agrarian problems. This has prompted the community to demand reservations.
Details
Manoj Jarange Patil on indefinite protest
Manoj Jarange Patil, who has been on an indefinite fast in Jalna's Antarwali Sarathi village since August 29, has emerged as the leader of the current protest and is also being visited by several senior politicians.
The Marathas have been demanding reservation since 1981, making the issue integral to Maharashtra's politics. The first such agitation was held 32 years ago by Mathadi Labour Union leader Annasaheb Patil in Mumbai.
However, no lasting solution was found in all these years.
Kunbis
Who is opposing reservations for Marathas
Currently, the Marathas fall under the general category but Kunbis, a subset of the community, have been granted reservations by considering them part of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
Now, the OBCs, including the Kunbis, are opposing the demand for Maratha reservations fearing that the new entrants will eat into their quotas.
Putting the government in a tight spot, they have carried out protests seeking written assurance that they will not have to share their quota with any other community.
What Next?
This issue became the lastest flashpoint
The current crisis began on September 1, when protesters seeking OBC status for the Maratha community were lathi-charged by cops in Jalna.
On Sunday, Patil announced he was giving up water and intravenous support.
To assuage their concerns, Shinde announced that Marathas from central Maharashtra can avail reservations under the OBC category if they produce a certificate from the Nizam era classifying them as Kunbis.
However, the state government's demand for certificates has irked protestors, who want reservations without stipulations.
Insights
Government introduced 16% quota for Marathas, SC quashed
In 2014, the then Prithviraj Chauhan-led Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) introduced a 16% reservation for Marathas.
Later that year, the BJP-Sena coalition came to power, unseating the 15-year-old Congress-NCP alliance.
Amid mass protests in 2018, the then-state government announced a 16% quota again, which was subsequently reduced to 12% for education and 13% for jobs by the Bombay High Court.
However, the Supreme Court quashed the move in 2021 as it breached the 50% ceiling for reservations.