Maratha groups push for inclusion in OBC category

WITH THE KUNBIS (PEASANTS OR TILLERS) — WHO ARE RECOGNISED AS OBC —

THE MARATHAS (WARRIORS) ARE ESTIMATED TO FORM OVER 30% OF MAHARASHTRA’S POPULATION.

MUMBAI: After the Supreme Court (SC) last year struck down reservation in education and jobs to the Maratha community, certain groups have approached the Maharashtra State Commission for Backward Classes (MSCBC) seeking that they be included in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.

“We have received applications from Maratha groups like Shivasangram, Maratha Kranti Morcha and others seeking that the Marathas be classified as OBCs. The applications were received last month and are being processed. The Commission held a meeting on Tuesday in Aurangabad and it was decided that it will meet in June in Pune to decide which sub-committee will examine this issue,” said B.L. Sagar Killarikar, member, MSCBC.

Shivasangram is led by Vinayak Mete, who is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a member of the legislative council (MLC).

Mete confirmed that he had made the application to the Commission.

“At present, we have no quota benefits and fall in the open category with those eligible being covered under the economically weaker sections (EWS) category… hence, I have applied to the MSCBC to launch a survey (to assess the backwardness of the community) and make a recommendation to the government,” he said.

Mete added that however, the question of accommodating the Marathas in the OBC or socially and educationally backward (SEBC) categories could be decided after the survey was competed.

In May 2021, a five-judge Constitution bench of the SC had quashed 12% reservations in education and 13% in jobs for Marathas. Notably, three commissions chaired by Justices (retired) S.N Khatri (1995), R.M. Bapat (2008) and B.P. Saraf and had rejected demands to include the Marathas in the OBC category.

The B.P Mandal Commission (1980), National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) (2000) had also struck down this claim. However, the MSCBC headed by Justice M.G. Gaikwad (retired) recommended quotas for Marathas in November 2018.

Other Backward Class category communities cut across caste and religious lines and comprise an estimated 53% of the population.

With the Kunbis (peasants or tillers) — who are recognised as OBC — the Marathas (warriors) are estimated to form over 30% of Maharashtra’s population.

The Marathas and Kunbis may not be endogamous. The Kunbis (tillers) form significant numbers in Konkan and Vidarbha.

Rajendra Kondhare of the Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Mahasangh (ABMM) said that classifying Marathas as OBCs is a long-standing demand with the group.