Maratha Reservation Firestorm: Jarange's Unyielding Ultimatum Rocks Maharashtra Government

The political landscape of Maharashtra continues to simmer with tension as Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil delivers a forceful and unyielding ultimatum to the state government. In a move that has reignited the fire of the Maratha reservation movement, Jarange has emphatically demanded that the government immediately commence the process of issuing Kunbi caste certificates to members of the Maratha community across the entire state.

The deadline set by Jarange is explicit and non-negotiable: September 17.

He asserts that there is more than sufficient historical evidence, including invaluable Nizam-era records and various other ancient documents, that unequivocally establish the Maratha community's lineage as Kunbis. According to Jarange, these proofs are readily available and should leave no room for further delay or bureaucratic hurdles in granting the much-sought-after certificates.

Jarange’s impassioned plea comes after a previous period of intense agitation.

He had, at one point, broken a significant hunger strike, granting the government a 40-day window to address the community's long-standing demands. However, with the passage of time, his patience has evidently worn thin, leading to this renewed and more pointed challenge to the administration.

While acknowledging the formation of the Justice Sandeep Shinde Committee, tasked with scrutinizing historical records pertinent to the Maratha-Kunbi link, Jarange's recent statements convey a sense of urgency and dissatisfaction with the pace of its work.

He implies that the evidence is so clear-cut that the committee’s findings should unequivocally support the immediate issuance of the certificates, without any further dilly-dallying.

The activist’s resolute stance has ominous implications for the state government. Jarange has explicitly warned that if his demands are not met and the process of issuing Kunbi certificates does not commence with the urgency he prescribes, he will resume his hunger strike from September 20.

This threat underscores the gravity of the situation and highlights the community's unwavering determination to secure their reservation rights through this pathway.

The Maratha community’s push for Kunbi status is a strategic move to secure reservation benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

The demand is rooted in the belief that Marathas, historically agriculturalists, share a common lineage with the Kunbi community, which is already listed under OBCs. Granting Kunbi certificates would effectively bypass the complex legal challenges that previous Maratha reservation attempts have faced, offering a more direct route to securing quotas in education and government jobs.

As the deadline looms, all eyes are on the Maharashtra government.

The ball is now firmly in their court, with Jarange and the Maratha community making it clear that anything short of immediate action will be met with intensified agitation. The coming days are crucial and will determine the future trajectory of this high-stakes socio-political battle in Maharashtra.