The Maharashtra Commission for Backward Classes will conduct a survey from January 23 to 31 to assess the social, economic and educational backwardness of the Maratha community, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Saturday. Mr. Shinde directed the State administration to carry out this survey, which will cover Maratha and non-Maratha open categories, in three different shifts on a war footing.
The announcement came after Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil began his protest march on foot from Antarwali-Sarathi village in Jalna district to the State capital, Mumbai, over 400 km away, on Saturday morning to press for the community’s long-standing demand for reservation in government jobs and education.
Accompanied by thousands of members from the community, Mr. Jarange-Patil is set to reach Azad Maidan, the designated place for protests and rallies in south Mumbai, on January 26 and go on a hunger strike till the government provides reservation to the Marathas. He has demanded issuance of Kunbi OBC certificates to all Marathas.
At the meeting on the reservation issue at his official residence, Mr. Shinde directed Divisional Commissioners, Collectors, Commissioners of municipal corporations and other senior officials via a video link to inform villagers about the survey and share details with gram panchayat offices. “This work should be given top priority and carried out accurately with punctuality,” the Chief Minister said.
An estimated 2.50 crore families will be surveyed and renowned institutions like the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) in Pune, and the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, will assist in carrying out this exercise, he said.
Training begins
Ajit Ranade, Vice-Chancellor of GIPE, said over 1.25 lakh enumerators, including teachers, gram sevaks and anganwadi workers, will be engaged for the survey, which will be completed in about eight days. Mr. Ranade also said training for enumerators started on Saturday in 36 districts, 27 municipalities, and seven cantonment areas.
Mr. Shinde asked the administration to properly carry out the training of enumerators and officers, and maintain a daily record.
Earlier, addressing mediapersons in Jalna, Mr. Jarange-Patil demanded that the government immediately issue Kunbi certificates to Marathas. “The government has not acted for over seven months on our demand for Maratha reservation, which has been ignored for over 45 years. Despite submitting 54 lakh records of people, the State government is not releasing Kunbi certificates. Even if they shoot [government] me, I will prefer death over the withdrawal of my agitation. I will not back off from marching to Mumbai,” he said.
As the Kunbis, a community associated with agriculture, are grouped under the OBC category in the State and enjoy reservation benefits in education and government jobs, Mr. Jarange-Patil’s demand had sparked off protests by OBC groups that were apprehensive about ceding their reservation space to the Marathas.
With the OBCs being a core base of the BJP in Maharashtra for years, Deputy Chief Minister and party leader Devendra Fadnavis had to assure OBC members, who took out protests across the State, that the government would not disturb their quota and no injustice would be meted out to them.
‘Fight till last breath’
Urging people to join the agitation in Mumbai, Mr. Jarange-Patil said, “Whether I survive or not, we Marathas must not step back. The fight must go on until our mission to get reservation is achieved. I will continue to fight till my last breath for the future of our community, so that the next generations need not suffer what we have. I am ready to face any hurdle, and no matter whoever powerful tries to stop me, I will not back off, come what may.”
With tears in his eyes, the quota activist told villagers, who had gathered around him, “I have to leave the village that has given me their affection, support and admiration throughout my life. on Saturday, that his “fight is for all people of the village and the entire Maratha community”. “I am leaving this village with determination and a promise to the people that I will only return with the reservation for them.”
Mr. Jarange-Patil said that he is not bothered whether the government wants to “sit down to discuss with us or completely ignore us”. “We cannot bother them so much if they decide to shut their doors for discussion. Honestly, it will not affect my agitation. I just know that I am marching to Mumbai and will fast there along with thousands of my Maratha brothers, who are leaving their families and daily earnings to join the movement,” he said.
Taking a dig at the ruling alliance in the State, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut said the government led by Mr. Shinde has failed to live up to the expectations of the Maratha community.
“The community is forced to walk the path of agitation and fast because this government simply does not care about it and are not serious about offering any solution to the community,” Mr. Raut said.
