MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA — Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil is continuing to put immense pressure on the BJP-led Mahayuti government, demanding that the entire Maratha community be classified as an Other Backward Class (OBC) to secure reservation benefits in education and government jobs. This demand, which has sparked both large-scale protests and political friction, is proving to be a complex legal and social challenge for the state.
Who are the Marathas and Kunbis? The Marathas are a powerful and politically significant community in Maharashtra, making up approximately 28% of the state’s population. Historically, they are identified as a warrior and peasant caste, with many members serving as soldiers, landlords, and agriculturists.
The Kunbis, on the other hand, are a sub-caste of the Marathas, traditionally known as peasants and agriculturists. Due to their historically lower socio-economic status, they are already included in the OBC category and receive reservation benefits. For decades, there have been distinctions between the two groups, with some sections of Marathas asserting they are not Kunbis.
Jarange-Patil’s Core Demands Manoj Jarange-Patil argues that the Marathas and Kunbis are historically one and the same. He points to British-era records, such as the Hyderabad Gazette, Bombay Gazette, Satara Princely State Gazette, and Aundh Gazette, as evidence that a majority of Marathas were documented as Kunbis. His primary demand is for the government to issue ‘Kunbi certificates’ to all Marathas based on these historical records. He also insists that these certificates should be extended to blood relatives (“sage-soyare”) and relatives by marriage within the community, enabling the entire Maratha community to avail themselves of OBC reservation benefits.
The Shinde Committee’s Role In response to earlier protests, the Maharashtra government established the Justice Sandeep Shinde (Retd) Committee in September 2023. The committee’s mandate was to search for Kunbi references in historical records. So far, the committee has examined Nizam-era documents (Hyderabad Gazette) and the Satara Gazette, finding records for 58 lakh families. On this basis, the government has already issued Kunbi certificates to 2.39 lakh Marathas.
Jarange-Patil is willing to give the government two additional months to examine the Bombay and Aundh gazettes, but he has demanded that the process of issuing certificates based on the already-verified Hyderabad and Satara gazettes begin immediately.
Government’s Dilemma The BJP-led government is walking a tightrope, trying to accommodate Jarange-Patil’s demands without upsetting the existing OBC communities, who fear their own reservation share will be diluted. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has stated that the government is committed to granting reservation to the Maratha community but will not do so “at the expense of OBCs.”
The government’s legal challenge is also significant. In February, the state passed the Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) Act, granting a 10% reservation to Marathas. However, this act has been challenged in the Bombay High Court as it breaches the Supreme Court’s 50% cap on total reservations. Granting Marathas OBC status could further complicate this legal hurdle and lead to strong pushback from other communities. On Saturday, the state cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation gave an “in-principle approval” to implement the Hyderabad Gazette, showing a willingness to engage with Jarange-Patil’s demands within the legal framework.