Maharashtra is currently experiencing a fresh wave of protests regarding the Maratha quota demand, with some of these protests turning violent and resulting in vandalism and arson. The district of Beed was particularly affected, with two legislators’ houses and a Nationalist Congress Party office being set on fire by angry protesters. However, the demand for Maratha reservations is not a new issue in Maharashtra.
Marathas, who make up approximately 33% of the state’s population, have been demanding reservation in education and government jobs. The first protest for reservation took place in Mumbai in 1982, led by Mathadi Labour Union leader Annasaheb Patil.
In 2021, the Supreme Court struck down Maharashtra’s Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018, which had granted reservation to the Maratha community, as it violated the 50% quota limit. The community has been seeking Kunbi caste certificates, which would allow them to be included in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category for reservation. In Maharashtra, Kunbis, who are associated with agriculture, are grouped under the OBC category.
To address this demand, Maharashtra formed a committee led by a retired judge. After examining the documents of around 100,000 people, the committee found that approximately 11,530 Marathas had documents proving their Kunbi identity.
In response to the recent violent protests, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde held an all-party meeting to discuss the situation in the state.
The current wave of protests began after pro-quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil started an indefinite hunger strike on October 25. Although he took a few sips of water on Monday after being urged by locals, his hunger strike continues.
The violence during the protests mainly targeted the legislators and offices of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) due to alleged comments made by a politician regarding the quota demand. NCP MLA Prakash Solanke, whose house in Beed was vandalized and set on fire, was reportedly heard calling the quota demand a “child’s game” in a widely circulated audio clip. He allegedly said, “The person who has not even contested a gram panchayat election (seen as a dig at Manoj Patil), has become a smart person today.”
Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has called on the central government to resolve the issue of Maratha reservation by convening a special session of Parliament.
