Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday accepted activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s demand for implementation of the “Hyderabad Gazette”, thus taking a huge step towards ending the Maratha reservation protests in Mumbai.
The concession paves the way for the Maratha community in Marathwada to establish their Kunbi status and thus avail reservation benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category. Fadnavis said the decision would be formalised through a new government resolution (GR).
For context - The Hyderabad Gazette refers to an order issued in 1918 by the then Nizam of Hyderabad. Prior to India’s Independence, the Marathwada region, comprising eight drought-prone districts of modern-day Maharashtra, was part of the realm of the Nizam of Hyderabad. All records of the region, relating to its population, castes and communities, occupations, agriculture, etc., were included in the aforementioned Gazette.
The records suggest that the Marathas, who were engaged in agriculture, were a sizable community in Marathwada but were considered economically and socially backward and that back then the Maratha community was considered the same as the Kunbi community. The Nizam’s government formally recorded an order granting the Maratha community reservation in education and government jobs in the gazette.
Fadnavis has always held that any decision with regard to the Maratha quota should withstand constitutional and legal scrutiny. As such, his government has been diligent not to agree to Patil’s demand for a blanket issuance of Kunbi certificates to Marathas across Maharashtra based on documentary evidence.
Fadnavis clarified that those seeking quota benefits must apply individually, and eligibility will be verified, adding that the government has proposed an action plan for the same.
However the move seems to have irked other OBC groups. They have strongly opposed the move, calling it a “backdoor entry” of Marathas into their reservation quota.
The National OBC Federation defiantly declared that its hunger strike in Nagpur’s Constitution Square will continue until the state deputed a representative for talks. Federation President Baban Taywade insists that the government must talk to them just like they did with Patil.
Notably, many Marathas in Western Maharashtra and Marathwada are not seeking recognition as Kunbis. Instead they have chosen to retain their identity as a warrior class and a forward caste.
