Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has ended his 20-day hunger strike after discussions with a Maharashtra government delegation. He issued a three-month ultimatum, threatening to resume protests in Mumbai if demands for Maratha reservation, based on Kunbi lineage recognition, are not met. The government has assured action on historical gazettes to facilitate OBC benefits for Marathas.
The BJP-led government's decision to grant Kunbi status to individuals from the Maratha community has opened a Pandora's box.
"Out of 100, I will give minus zero marks to this GR," said activist Vinod Patil.
The Maharashtra government has formed a committee to facilitate the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas who can provide documentary evidence recognizing them as Kunbis in the past, potentially opening the door for reservation benefits.
Maharashtra cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal has demanded a stay on the Kunbi caste certificates issued to Marathas following their latest agitation for reservation and scrapping of the Justice (retired) Sandeep Shinde committee formed over the quota issue.
The Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced forming a committee to issue Kunbi caste certificates to Maratha community members with historical evidence of their Kunbi heritage, a social group classified as an OBC in the state.
Jarange Patil on Tuesday called off his five-day old agitation after the Maharashtra government issued a resolution on the Hyderabad gazetteer and announced the formation of a committees to facilitate the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas who are able to produce documentary evidence recognising them as Kunbis in the past.
Referring to the demand of giving a Kunbi certificate to all 54 lakh people whose proof of being Kunabi has been found till now, Patil said that they will be given the certificates soon.
