A community that dominates every conceivable field wants to be included in the list of Other Backward Classes
It's an issue that has been raised time and again, but no previous Maharashtra government has taken it seriously. So it was surprising that when a coalition of Maratha groups met Prithviraj Chavan on May 22 with the demand for the community to be included in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, the Chief Minister assured them that a proposal would be placed before the State Cabinet in three months' time, after all the legal aspects had been examined.
The question of including Marathas — a “forward caste” as described by the Mandal Commission — under the OBC category has been bothering Maharashtra for a while. Not satisfied with their pre-eminence in all walks of life in the State, the Maratha community is pitching not just for inclusion in the OBC category — it is aiming for 27-per-cent reservation in local bodies right up to the municipal corporation level and at least 25 per cent in educational institutions.
In 2009, the last time the demand was raked up, many OBC leaders such as Chhagan Bhujbal, the Minister for Public Works, objected vehemently. The demand is being tacitly supported by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Mr. Bhujbal's opposition had put him in a corner in his own party.
There is a strong opposition to the Maratha demand, especially from OBC communities, who feel they will be edged out of politics and education if it is granted. It was because of this opposition that the NCP, which portrays itself as a dominant Maratha party, suffered in the 2009 general elections.
It had used the Maratha reservation issue as an election plank and also projected Sharad Pawar as a prime ministerial candidate. Both moves failed miserably. Yet the NCP wants to be seen appeasing its support base and the more militant elements in it, periodically.
The 22nd report of the State Backward Classes Commission headed by Justice R.M. Bapat had categorically rejected the Maratha demand in 2008 after detailed investigations. While a majority — that is, four members of the Commission — backed the resolution that it would not be appropriate to include Marathas under the OBC category, two members opposed it; one was not present for the meeting.
Against social justice
Justice (retd) Bapat was of the firm opinion that to include Marathas under OBCs would go against the interest of social justice. His was not the first commission to come to this conclusion. Three Central Backward Classes Commissions — notably the Kalelkar and Mandal Commissions and one more in 2004 — had not recommended inclusion of Marathas under the OBC category. Previous State Backward Classes Commissions, too, had rejected demands to include some sub-castes of Marathas under OBC; in 1996, as in 2008, the State Backward Classes Commission rejected the inclusion of the entire Maratha community as OBC.
Data compiled by Dr. Suhas Palshikar of the University of Pune in his book on Maharashtra politics (Politics of Maharashtra: Local Context of the Political Process, Editors: Suhas Palshikar and Nitin Birmal, Pratima Prakashan, 2007) detail how, far from being a backward community, Marathas have ruled the roost in the State for decades and have a stranglehold on the political scene.
From 1962 to 2004, of the total of 2,430 MLAs, 1,336 or 55 per cent were Maratha. Nearly 54 per cent of the educational institutions in the State are controlled by them. Of the 105 sugar factories, 86 are headed by Marathas, while 23 district cooperative banks have Marathas as chairpersons. Marathas dominate the universities in the State, with 60 to 75 per cent presence in the management. About 71.4 per cent of the cooperative institutions are under the control of this community. In Maharashtra, 75 to 90 per cent of the land is owned by the community. In addition, all the milk cooperatives and cotton mills are either owned or controlled by them. In 54 of the 288 Assembly constituencies, only Marathas have ever been elected — even without any reservations.
The revival of Maratha reservation has put the Congress on the mat in a way. The Chief Minister's move to consider it afresh amid strident demands of an August 15 deadline, has not gone down well in his own party and in the past, the high command has advised State leaders to tread cautiously on this issue. Court rulings have made it amply clear that the State government cannot decide the matter of including a community under OBC without observing due procedure.
In a Bombay High Court judgement of October 1, 2010, in the case of Vishwanath Pandurang Mahadeshwar, the court, while upholding the striking down of his caste certificate as a “Vaishyawani”, also held that the State government had not followed due procedure in the matter. The inclusion of Vaishyawani in the OBC category was not done through a recommendation of the Backward Classes Commission, but clarified in a letter of April 27, 1989 by an Assistant Secretary in the Department of Social Welfare in the Maharashtra government. The letter was in response to representations from MLAs on the inclusion of Vaishyawani and Kulwantwani castes under the OBC category.
The court cited a Supreme Court judgement that ordered the creation of the State Backward Classes Commission, which would be the deciding authority in all such representations.
Political pressure
Despite all these commissions categorically rejecting the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category, there is political pressure; which is why the Chief Minister, a Maratha himself, cannot blatantly refuse to consider the representation. The State government did not accept or reject the recommendations of the Bapat Commission in 2008. It merely referred the matter to the next commission. With the renewed demand, clearly the State government is on the back foot and needs to take a call sooner or later. While it can seek refuge in another committee, the time may soon come when it will be called upon to take a position on the matter. There is only one such position to take and for the Congress, the danger is that this will risk offending a very powerful section that constitutes an estimated 30 per cent of the State's population.
Keywords: Maharashtra government, OBC category, State Backward Classes Commission, Marathas, Maharashtra politics
This is a slippery slope, and I don't think Marathas are to be blamed. Our constitution should never had supported caste-based reservation in first place. Economic Norms makes sense and could have provided the required affirmative action for the downtroddens.
This resport ignores one aspect of regional variation of status within Marathas in Maharashtra. Most of reports of marathas doing well to some extent may be true in Western Maharashtra but defintely not in regions such as Konkan. I belong to Maratha community from Konkan and I can swear that don't held any so called sway in the region. So called OBC that I have came across actually do better economically in this region. If anyone can justify caste-based resevations, probably really downtrodden people (ST and to some extent SC) should be the only ones that need some protection.
We must understand that Maratha is a diverse community with population ranging from 'Salute state' royals to poor suicidal farmers. Today the so called 'forward castes' have fallen in dismay. The Marathas in particular not being enterpreneural in nature have failed to catch up since globalisation. They have turned into a caste with bulk population constituting lower middle class servicemen of urban Maharashtra and agrarian class of rural Maharashtra. The community considerable presence in states like Goa, Karnataka, Gujarat and MP where they don't have similar political strength. While the caste as a whole may not require reservation there are pockets of population that deserve upliftment in some or the other way. While the Marathas constitute a ruling martial(Kshatriya) class, there is a caste in Maharashtra named Daivadnya "Brahmin" which enjoys OBC status.
This shows very apathetic condition of India where every influential community is demanding reservation and it easy for them to pass such
act as all the political power rest in their hand. Reservation has now
become the ploy of political parties and is acting as vote fetching
game. No one take consequences of reservation seriously. Reservation
policy should not common phenomenon but it should be given in
exceptional case.If everyone is demanding reservation in such competitive world there will be no fair play environment left in this
country. That day is no far when our Brahmin community will demand
reservation for them.
If I am pushed, I would tend to distinguish myself, work hard, make a positive impact to the society and try to put myself into "Super High Class" so that everyone looks up to me.
Who in their silly minds would want to diminish themselves into an imaginary class that never existed and lower themselves into a state where they pilfer public goods and services with an unfair share. On the other hand, it seems these people are truly truly "backward" - perhaps we should call them "Other Low Class" or "No Honour Class".
There is no aspect pride here,Maratha the so-called 'forward class' is just becoming backward.Say for example a dalit student belonging to a rich family,had to pay 500 rs for the same education what a lower middle class maratha student pays 4-5 lakh.Ya,the statistic shows cool things regarding the industrial or political control.Why dont these guyz jolt down the number of people controlling the same,i am sure it must be handful.I don't have problem with the reservation for SC,ST but why cant maratha get some reservation because they ruled maharashtra 150 years back and there ancestor has left ample of gold for them right???. Someone should raise this issue,because every picture looks good if you see it from 100m but guys try take a deeper look and you will know.
It is really surprising that chief minister of Maharashtra assures Maratha Reservation aspirant team that he will take a final call in 3 months period; whereas inclusion/exclusion of any caste in OBC list is statutory right of Backward Class Commission as per the decision of Supreme Court in Indira Sawhny Vs. Union of India. As per Indian Constitution article 16(4), the criteria of reservation is number 1. Community should be backward class of citizens AND BIG AND number 2. Community is not having adequate representation. Who will say that Marathas does not have adequate representation in the area of political representation. As now also CM, DY.CM, SPEAKER OF VIDHANSABHA, HOME MINISTER and bla..bla..bla i.e. highest positions of states are all marathas. From Grampanchayat leader to CM, Marathas not only have adequate representation but many many times more than adequate representation in Maharashtra. Marathas should behave like elder brother to OBCs else OBC may take any path good or bad.
the reservations made on the basis of the condition of india some 60 years before.. but day by day the things are changing and those who called backward became now the elite group and each and every kin of their family became professional. so the percentage and criteria of the reservation to be changed depending on the situation.. else a day will come, when once the forward class will become the SC/ST and again one more new reservation needed.. there should be a strong law that., those who have taken up the govt. job of any nature,. their family will be removed from the reservation list. but this will not been heard to the politicians, who look for the votes than to the well wish of the people.
I lived many years in Nashik, which was still fairly developed by the standards of Maharashtra. While visiting relatives in Bombay (it was still called that way then) and others in Vidarbha, the glaring differences between these three places were only all too apparent. I think the MPs sitting in glamorous (when you ignore the slums) Bombay are blind to the plight of Maharashtra. Given its central importance to the nation and its cosmopolitan nature, it might be best to make a separate state out of Bombay, and further split Maharashtra into a Western section ruled from Pune, one Eastern part centered at Nagpur and a Southern one. Then, the MPs would have to look after their people.
The legendary B.R. Ambedkar, was right to bring the system of reservation for the betterment of the ill treated people from the lowest stratum of the society. How can the Marathas who were supposed to be on the top stratum of the society and had been looking down upon Dalits and other backward class people, became backward? The policy makers need to look at every aspects in comparison with other member of the society. However, the idea of reservation had come considering a situation of 65 years ago. Since many ground realities have changed, isn't a need of reconsidering the defination of reservation? Shouldn't it be taken on the socio-economic backwardness without looking at the caste or religious background? Having so called high class lineage does not change the ground reality. It does not feed a people. There is an urgent need to redefine the basis of reservation. We should not overlook the importance of creamy-layer as the basis of such assistance in order to develop a balanced society.
The state is in a bad shape and it is hardly the time to talk of Maratha pride and Maratha contribution. Mumbai belongs rightly to Maharashtra and there is no doubt about it. But leave aside Mumbai, what is the state of progress in other regions. There are some districts which have social indicators that are worse than Bimaru states. There are Naxalite pockets. The Vidarbha which has
been neglected and where there are farmers suicides. Think about them.
Give them a state of their own and they can do things for themselves
which the rest of the Mahaarasshtra failed to do. Improve rural
Maharashtra. What is going to be the contribution of the Marathas in
this?
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