Quota only cure?

The Maratha community needs an end to its economic distress caused by the decline of the agricultural sector

Ever since quotas were made a reality as affirmative action to bring the marginalised and the dispossessed into the mainstream discourse and protect their livelihoods, the affected castes and classes, who were expected to share resources, have sought some counter-guarantees too for fear that their rights would be encroached upon and meritocracy compromised. This resentment is now brimming over within the agrarian middle castes, who are claiming to have been denied their due, squashed between the so-called ‘higher’ and ‘lowest’ castes. And since they control the spine of the agricultural economy and a significant vote pie, they draw political traction to their cause. This has been the reason for the agitations by Jats, Patidars and now the Marathas. Often these have resulted in anarchist violence and loot, something the Maratha quota activists had so far stayed away from but descended to in a pre-election year. The Marathas actually qualify to be a creamy layer, owning over 80 per cent of agricultural land, holding most of the sugar mills, having more caste men as Chief Ministers than others and figuring higher on socio-economic indicators than any disadvantaged group — in fact, the Marathas are almost equal to forward castes and the lowest among them, the Kunbis, already are protected. The demand for quotas, which would cross the 50 per cent cap set by the Supreme Court even if considered, would fail the scrutiny stage itself because there is no demonstrable proof of social, economical or political backwardness. Rather it would seem like forcing the hand of any ruling establishment to grant them poll time largesse. If access to Government jobs could solve all ills, then the Marathas should not be complaining since their enrollment is the same as Brahmins and higher than that of other forward castes and even OBCs. Yes, they have been facing the brunt of a depressed agricultural economy, farm distress and low returns but a quota cannot be the cure for systemic ills.

Wouldn’t it have been more prudent to argue for a farm crisis package than to foment a political upheaval and score a pyrrhic victory? For, other than embarrassing the Government, whose Ordinance for 16 per cent reservation was stayed, and fuelling the Congress-NCP campaign plank pivoted on Maratha rights, the quota stir won’t stop farmers’ suicides or eliminate the debt trap. And identity politics, which the Marathas have engaged in ever since they were enraged by the rape of a girl from the community, will further deepen faultlines in a State that needs economic succour over social belligerence.