MUMBAI: The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday accepted the primary report of the quota committee and decided to issue OBC certificates to Maratha-Kunbi individuals whose genealogy includes references to Kunbi in old documents.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that the state government had appointed Justice Sandeep Shinde’s committee to study and scrutinize over 1.7 crore documents from the Nizam era and revenue records. Among these, more than 13,498 documents made references to Kunbi as a caste, even though the present generation is referred to as Maratha.
“The committee is currently examining these historical records and references to Kunbi as a caste. Many of these writings are in Urdu or the Modi language, so the state government is translating them into Marathi with the help of experts. After translation, these documents will be digitized, and Kunbi certificates will be issued to individuals whose genealogy references Kunbi,” said BJP Minister Chandrakant Patil, who heads the cabinet sub-committee for Maratha reservations.
According to the report, the state government will issue certificates as Maratha-Kunbi and Kunbi-Maratha. “The state government has also tasked the backward commission with assessing the social and economic backwardness of the Maratha community. The commission will collect empirical data to establish the Maratha community’s status as economically and socially backward. Additionally, we have appointed three retired justices, including Justice Dilip Bhosale, Justice Maroti Gaikwad, and Justice Sandeep Shinde, to advise and guide the state government on reservation issues,” stated a note circulated by the state government.
However, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who is on a fast unto death protest to push for Maratha reservations, opposes the state government’s decision to issue OBC certificates to individuals with Kunbi-Maratha and Maratha-Kunbi references in their genealogy. He argues that this demand is for Kunbi caste certificates regardless of genealogical references.
“We will not accept such Government resolutions (GR). It will divide families and the community. Those with documents will receive OBC status, while those without documents will be deprived of these OBC certificates. Therefore, the state government should issue Kunbi certificates to all Marathas,” Jarange Patil said. Earlier in the day, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde spoke with Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange Patil over the phone and requested him to drink water and take care of his health.
Protestors oppose OBC certificate with Kunbi reference
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who is on a fast unto death to push for Maratha reservation, has opposed the decision to issue OBC certificates with Kunbi-Maratha and Maratha-Kunbi references in their genealogy. He argues that this demand is for Kunbi caste certificates regardless of genealogical references.