Last week, a rally demanding quota for Marathas in Maharashtra’s Jalna district became violent, injuring numerous individuals, including police officers.
Maratha reservation row: With the Maratha reservation issue escalating in the Marathwada area and other parts of the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde convened an all-party conference on Monday in an attempt to find a solution and break the present gridlock over the problem. According to the source, the conference would take place in the ‘Sahyadri Guest House’.
On the other side, a Maratha organization in Maharashtra’s Thane city planned a ‘bandh’ on Monday to oppose the recent police lathi-charge of agitators in Jalna last week. Local leaders from the state’s opposition parties have proclaimed their support for the ‘bandh’ organized by the Sakal Maratha Morcha and backed by the Sambhaji Brigade.
The bandh has been supported by the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and the local unit of Congress.
The police force has been deployed around the city today in response to the Maratha community’s request for a shutdown. Since the morning, police authorities have been analyzing the situation in terms of police deployment. The police have stated that they have taken the required security measures since the call for a peaceful shutdown was issued.
How does agitation turn violent?
Earlier that day, on September 1, an agitation for the Maratha reservation became violent in Antarwali Sarathi hamlet in Jalna district, injuring numerous people, including scores of police officers.
Police allegedly baton charged and launched tear gas shells to disperse demonstrators in Antarwali Sarathi on the Dhule-Solapur route in Jalna after they allegedly refused to allow authorities to transfer a man on hunger strike demanding Maratha quota to hospital. According to authorities, the protest became violent when some individuals attacked state transport buses and private automobiles. However, residents alleged that police shot some rounds into the air, which officials denied.
Manoj Jarange, a Maratha quota campaigner, has been on hunger strike seeking Kunbi status, which practically implies an OBC quota, for all Marathas. So far, the rounds of discussions between the state administration and Jarange have been fruitless. Maratha organizations have subsequently staged agitations in various parts of the state to press their respective demands.
What is the problem with the Maratha Reservation?
The Maharashtra government, led by Devendra Fadnavis, granted quotas to the Maratha group in jobs and higher education in 2018. However, the Maharashtra government’s quota decision was annulled by the Supreme Court in May 2021.
In May 2021, a 5-judge Supreme Court bench ruled that the Maratha group was not socially or educationally disadvantaged. It also denied a review petition in April 2023, ruling that the quota statute was unconstitutional.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister has stated that the Maratha people would be given reservations.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that his government is dedicated to providing this group with a quota in education and government jobs. Shinde also stated that there was no disagreement between him and the state’s two deputy chief ministers and that they were all working well together.
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“My government is committed to providing reservation to the state’s Maratha community.” “We will not remain silent until the community receives its proper reservation,” Shinde stated. “Until the Maratha community receives reservation, the government schemes that are already in place will continue, and deserving Maratha people will benefit from them,” he added.
