Jarange-Patil announces statewide agitation on March 3 over 'sage-soyare'
Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has asked the Maharashtra government to implement the draft notification on "blood relatives" (sage-soyare) of Kunbi Marathas within two days. If it fails to do so, a statewide "Rasta Roko" (stop the roads) protest will be held on March 3, he added. His calls for agitation came even after the Maharashtra government passed a bill on Tuesday granting a 10% quota in educational institutes and government jobs to Marathas.
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Jarange-Patil has claimed the bill would not withstand legal scrutiny as long as the quota did not come under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The bill passed by the state government was under a separate category. He wants all Marathas to be considered Kunbi, a caste in Maharashtra under the OBC. As such, he is reiterating his demand that the Maharashtra government's draft notification on 'blood relatives' of Kunbi Marathas be converted into a law.
Draft notification on 'sage-soyare' and its implications
The draft notification says that if a Maratha has proof to show that he or she belongs to the Kunbi caste, the person's blood relatives would also get Kunbi certificates. "But it didn't implement it, and no discussion took place over it in the special session of the assembly," Jarange-Patil said. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde informed the legislative assembly on Tuesday that the draft notification to give certificates to "extended blood relatives" of Kunbi Marathas is being scrutinized.
Jarange-Patil's concerns and future course of action
Jarange-Patil further asserted that the government will "regret" its decision to provide 10% reservation for Marathas because it was not well received by the community. He has also asked the Election Commission to postpone elections until the demands for reservations are met. A significant number of castes and groups are already placed in the reserved category, accounting for approximately 52% of all reservations. With a 10% Maratha quota, the reservations will reach 62%.
Maratha Reservation Bill and its potential legal issues
Both houses of Maharashtra Legislature passed the Maratha Reservation Bill, which resembles the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018, on Tuesday. The bill bases the reservation on the findings of the State Commission of Maharashtra for Backward Class (SCMBC). In its report, the commission said Marathas, who account for 28% population, faced "'exceptional and extraordinary" backwardness, warranting reservation beyond the 50% cap. The Supreme Court quashed the 2018 Act due to the 50% cap it had set in 1992.