Quota stir: Shinde govt issues notification to recognise Maratha kin as Kunbis

Navi Mumbai: The Eknath Shinde-led Maha Yuti government has issued a notification to issue Kunbi caste certificates to all relatives of the Marathas whose records have been found -- as demanded by chief campaigner Manoj Jarange-Patil .

Kunbi form a sub-caste of the Maratha and is covered under Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The notification was issued on the night of January 26 coinciding with the 75th Republic Day festivities as a huge group of agitators reached the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) from across Maharashtra.

The notification titled 'Maharashtra Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, De-notified Tribes (Vimukta Jatis), Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category (Regulation of Issuance and Verification of) Caste Certificate Act, 2000' defined 'sage-soyare' (blood relations), which includes relatives of the applicant’s father, grandfather, great grandfather and in earlier generations forming out of marriages within the same castes and will include relations forming out of marriages within the same caste.

Jarange-Patil broke his fast and withdrew the agitation after Shinde drove to Navi Mumbai and formally handed over the copy of the government resolution/notification, which was issued by the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department.

Addressing a meeting with Jarange-Patil in the satellite township, Shinde said that both the Deputy Chief Ministers -- Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar -- are with him in the decision and the government is committed to give reservation to the Maratha community. “Our decision is for justice not for votes,” Shinde said amid thunderous applause and invocation of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and waving of saffron flags.

However, the OBC leadership are up in arms against the decision.
“This (notification) would not pass the test of law,” senior NCP leader and state Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said and asked people to send in their objections and suggestions to the government.

On Jarange-Patil’s prime demand of including blood relations, the draft rules in the Government Resolution states that it would include relatives of the applicant’s father, grandfather, great grandfather and in earlier generations forming out of marriages within the same caste, and include relations forming out of marriages within the same caste.

After the applicant submits an affidavit establishing his relations with his blood relatives like uncle, nephew and other members of the family and patriarchal relatives who have Kunbi records as the applicant’s ‘sage-soyare’ and after conducting a field enquiry to verify, the applicant shall be issued a Kunbi caste certificate immediately.

Shinde was accompanied by ministers Girish Mahajan, Mangal Prabhat Lodha and Deepak Kesarkar, top officers like Social Justice Department Secretary Sumant Bhange, Aurangabad Divisional Commissioner Madhukar Arangal, and Chief Minister's Private Secretary Dr Amol Shinde.