People protesting against Maratha Reservation. (Express Archives)
Save Merit Save Nation, Maharashtra, a movement to curtail “excess reservation”, has welcomed the Supreme Court order that struck down the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act 2018, which extends reservation to the Maratha community in public education and employment.
“Truly speaking, this is a win of meritorious students/candidates of Maharashtra, which has no caste. The fight was not against any caste or community, the fight was to protect the interest of meritorious students/candidates of Maharashtra, the fight was to protect the rights of equality of opportunities in education and government employment,” said Dr Anil Laddhad, president of Save Merit Save Nation.
In its order, the SC said there were no extraordinary circumstances to grant reservation to the Maratha community over and above the 50 per cent ceiling on reservation prescribed by the Supreme Court in its 1992 judgment in Indra Sawhney vs Union of India. “The 2018 Act as amended in 2019 granting reservation for Maratha community does not make out any exceptional circumstance to exceed the ceiling limit of 50 per cent reservation,” the court held.
“Finally merit prevails,” Sudha Shenoy, executive president of Save Merit Save Nation, Maharashtra, said. “The fight that commenced in December 2018 has now reached closure by the SC decision. We are not against any caste or religion but against reservation going beyond 50 per cent. Let everyone get it on economical grounds within 50 per cent,” Shenoy told The Indian Express.
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