Mumbai: The Other Backward Classes (OBC) community’s protest against the Maharashtra government’s decision to issue Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas based on the Hyderabad Gazette is likely to intensify in the coming days.
After senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Chhagan Bhujbal declared that he would challenge the government order in court, another OBC leader, Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress, held a meeting of community leaders, where it was decided that they would fight aggressively against the decision.
After the meeting, Wadettiwar said the OBCs have decided to fight on two fronts: one in the courts and the other on the streets. “It was decided to file a bunch of petitions against the government resolution (GR) in all four benches of the (Bombay) high court—Mumbai, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Kolhapur,” said Wadettiwar, who is the Congress legislative party leader.
Wadettiwar also claimed that the draft GR shown to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil had a word, “eligible”, which was removed when the final GR was issued. This, he said, raises suspicion about the government’s motive.
“All are of the view that removing the word ‘eligible’ from the GR means (giving) blanket reservation to Marathas, even though the government is claiming otherwise. The GR has curbed the rights of OBCs and is a conspiracy to deprive them of reservation,” Wadettiwar said, adding that if the government had not changed the GR, their stand would have been different.
The Hyderabad Gazette, issued in 1918, classified Marathas involved in agriculture within the Nizam of Hyderabad’s territory, including present-day Marathwada, as Kunbis. On September 2, the state government issued a GR accepting the gazette as a valid document for establishing Kunbi credentials. This was one of Jarange-Patil’s main demands to end his indefinite hunger strike in Mumbai earlier this month. Kunbi is a sub-caste from the Maratha community, but gets reservation under the OBC quota in Maharashtra.
Wadettiwar said that OBC leaders have decided to hold region-wise meetings and entrust responsibilities to leaders to highlight the injustice with the OBC community at the village level. At the same time, the community will be mobilised to hold protests at the district, region and state level. “A massive OBC march will also be held in Nagpur in the first week of October against the GR,” he announced.
The Congress leader also urged all OBC leaders, irrespective of political affiliations, to be united against the government order. He added that he would also speak to Bhujbal regarding this. Bhujbal, a senior OBC leader and state minister from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, also believes the GR is against the interests of the community.
Banjara community’s protest
Meanwhile, a Banjara community on Monday held a protest in Beed, demanding to be included in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. The community claimed that the Hyderabad Gazette identifies them as STs, whereas in Maharashtra they are part of Vimukt Jati (A) category. If their demand is accepted, their reservation quota will increase from 3% to 7%.
NCP MLA Vijaysinh Pandit supported the demand by participating in the protest. “According to Hyderabad Gazette, the Banjara community has been identified as Scheduled Tribe (ST). They have all the right to be included in the ST category because the gazette is getting implemented in case of Maratha reservation following the government order,” Pandit told reporters in Beed.
The Dhangar community, too, has been demanding to be included in the ST category for the last several years. Currently, they are getting reservation under the OBC quota.
