MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday conceded one of the key demands of Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange Patil by extending the six-month period deadline for the Shinde commission that was formed to find out the references to Maratha as Kunbi and vice versa in old documents during the period of the Nizam in Hyderabad and other places.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has formed the cabinet sub-committee under the leadership of BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who himself comes from the Maratha community. The cabinet sub-committee held the meeting on Tuesday, where they discussed the demands of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, such as extending the six months to the Shinde commission, recognizing Sage-Soyare relatives as part of the genealogy and one clan, while issuing a Kunbi certificate to them means extending OBC reservations benefits.
Jarange Patil argued that Maratha and Kunbi are not different cast, but they are the same, while at most of the places, like in Vidarbha and Khandesh, the roti-beti – marriages took place between them. “If the Kunbi community is considered as OBC, then Marathas should not be considered the same? Why are they (Maratha) deprived of the reservation benefits? Besides, if we dig out the old records in in British period, most of the Marathas presently are shown as Kunbi in their educational and revenue records. Therefore, the proper documentation should be done. If any Maratha is married to a Kunbi and vice versa, so the OBC benefits should be given both as one caste umbrella,” Jarange Patil said.
However, the incumbent state government has a different view on it. “We want to give separate reservations to Marathas, not ready to accept Maratha as Kunbi, because that is hard to prove that Marathas are socially backward as Kunbis. Besides, it will be an injustice to other small communities that are in OBCs. If anyone gets the record of Kunbi, then he is free to get an OBC certificate, and no one can stop him or her. The reason, as per government norms, if the person gets the Kunbi records but they should be pre-1960s only. No recent changes will be accepted as a conversion of Maratha into Kunbi. It has to be proved through the old and authentic records only,” said a senior BJP leader who requested anonymity.
The cabinet sub-committee chairman, Radhakrishna Vikhe Pati,l said that the state government is very positive about Maratha reservations, but it should be given adequate time to carry out the proper and in-depth research. He said that most of the records of Marathawada are placed in Hyderabad as the capital of the Nizam state, and they are written in the Urdu and Persian languages, so they need experts to read and authenticate them.
Vikhe Patil appealed Mr Jarange Patil and asked him should call off his march in Mumbai that is scheduled on August 29 because it can create law and order issues in the backdrop of the Ganesh festival.