Quota Activist Demands Implementation of GR for Maratha Kunbi Certificates

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Sep 8 (PTI) – Quota activist Manoj Jarange has issued a firm demand that the Maharashtra government implement a Government Resolution (GR), which was issued last week, that facilitates the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to members of the Maratha community. Jarange has set a deadline for this action to be taken before September 17, or he warns he will be compelled to make another "tough decision."

Jarange had previously ended a five-day hunger strike in Mumbai on September 2 after the government agreed to form a committee for the distribution of Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas who can provide historical evidence of their Kunbi lineage. The Kunbi group is classified as an Other Backward Class (OBC) within the state, a classification that enables access to government reservations in employment and education.

The government’s decision, formalized in a resolution, came after intense discussions between state ministers and Jarange. The GR also mentions the implementation of the Hyderabad gazetteer.

"We expect that the government will instruct taluka-level offices to act on the GR. We anticipate that the process should begin by September 17. Should this not occur, I'll have no choice but to make difficult decisions," Jarange told the press from a hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where he has been receiving treatment since halting his agitation last week.

He emphasized that the distribution of the certificates based on the GR must start by September 17. "I am optimistic that the government will take action. If they are influenced by certain voices, such as those from Yeola," a veiled reference to minister Chhagan Bhujbal, "and make missteps, we will contest the 1994 GR that allocated our reservation to other groups," Jarange remarked.

Bhujbal, known as an OBC leader, has opposed granting OBC reservations to the Maratha community. September 17 holds significance as Marathwada Liberation Day, commemorating the integration of Marathwada into India following the annexation of the princely state of Hyderabad under the Nizam’s rule.

Jarange further claimed that some Maratha scholars, who have been critical of the GR, are unduly distressed, saying, "They've gone crazy and cannot rest due to the government’s order." He urged patience from the Maratha community regarding the GR.

He also announced plans to reveal future strategies at the Dussehra rally in Narayangad, Beed. "The rally may not be grand, but it will proceed," he assured.

Vinod Patil, another activist who has pursued legal action regarding the Maratha quota, recently criticized the GR, labeling it "completely useless" and arguing it will not substantively benefit the community.

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