Maratha quota stir: The Bombay High Court has said that the latest led protests for Maratha reservation in government jobs led by Manoj Jarange Patil have not been peaceful and have violated all conditions. The HC on Monday said that the entire city of Mumbai had been brought to a standstill, and vital places in South Mumbai have been occupied by protesters.
Manoj Jarange began the fresh round of hunger protest on August 28, leading lakhs of supporters in Mumbai.
Mumbai looked chaotic on Monday as protesters descended on major arterial roads and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Roads were choked as traffic slowed to a crawl in the financial capital of India.
Maratha community members even stopped trains during their protest at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai.
Why Are Marathas Protesting?
The protesters are seeking reservations under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
Jarange insists Marathas should be recognised as Kunbis, an agrarian caste already included in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. This would make the community eligible for reservations in government jobs and education.
"The government has records of 58 lakh Marathas as Kunbis," Jarange was quoted as saying in media reports. He has rejected all calls to soften his stance. After a meeting with a delegation led by retired HC judge Sandeep Shinde failed to break the deadlock, Jarange stopped drinking water from Monday. "I will not go back until the demand is met. Marathas will get reservation under the OBC category no matter what," he said.
What Government Says
BJP leaders Chandrakant Patil and Nitesh Rane, both Marathas themselves, urged the community to make use of the existing Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota instead of seeking OBC classification.
Patil argued that while Marathas never faced untouchability and were not historically backward, economic distress caused by shrinking landholdings had worsened their condition. He added that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was open to dialogue but bound by constitutional limits.
"Normally, delegations go to meet the CM, not the other way around. But Fadnavis is flexible enough to visit if it helps. Still, the meeting must bring solutions, not humiliation," Patil said in Solapur.
Rane, on the other hand, stressed that Jarange’s demand to classify all Marathas as Kunbis could not apply across Maharashtra. "In Konkan, Marathas and Kunbis are distinct communities. They are content with their current status. Such a demand may be examined for Marathwada but not for the entire state," he remarked.
Fadnavis has said that the government was committed to finding a solution within the boundaries of law and the Constitution.
On Monday, Fadnavis said: "The administration will implement the Bombay High Court directives on Manoj Jarange-led Maratha quota protest." The Bombay HC said that since the protesters do not have valid permission to continue the stir, it expected the Fadnavis government to initiate appropriate steps. The government must also ensure that protesters do not enter the city again.