Pune: For now, there is a temporary lull in the Maratha communitys agitation for reservation in education and employment.But the Eknath Shinde government is under pressure in the run-up to the Lok Sabha and assembly elections next year to decide while ensuring that the existing quotas for other communities in the state remain unchanged.The government is actively engaged on two fronts__ issuing Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas from Marathwada to enable them to access OBC reservation benefits, and ensuring that the submission for the curative petition filed in the Supreme Court is free from errors.If it is not able to keep its word, the community will go back to protests.The Marathas roughly constitute 33% of the states approximately 12 crore population with several sub-groups. Kunbi, the predominantly farming community, is one of them.The community has strong representation in politics. Many Marathas are sugar cooperative barons and run educational institutions. Of the 20 chief ministers since 1960 when the state was formed, at least 14 are from the community. Despite the clout, there is a huge economic divide in the community. Tillers facing poor farm yields and droughts, like those from Marathwada, are vehement about reservation and form the backbone of the stir with their leaders demanding Other Backward Class (OBC) status along with a quota.Both protests started by activist Manoj Jarange in September and October were for Kunbi certificates for all Marathas. Kunbis get reservation under the OBC quota.Why the Insistence?A survey conducted by the state government on the communitys representation in government jobs, shows that the Maratha community has nearly 14% representation, but very little in Class A jobs.In the police force too, though maximum posts are with the Maratha community, most employed are lower ranked police personnel. According to experts, the community has remained dependent on agriculture and over the years, farming has shrunk and their economic situation has deteriorated. The Marathas blame the political leadership for not paying attention to the communitys uplift. Eminent writer Sadanand More told TOI there is disparity in the economic condition of people within the Maratha community. Some are super rich, but a vast majority is dependent on farming and has remained poor, he said.In the past, the community had large holdings but when the land was divided by families, it reduced the individual share. They need reservation to uplift themselves. The government should also focus on rejuvenation of the farming sector, he added.Anger against leadersMaratha activists are upset that irrespective of political parties, the states politics has been dominated by leaders from their community, but they have not given back as much. It is the prime reason that close to 500 villages banned the entry of any political leader. Rajendra Kunjir, state coordinator of Maratha Kranti Morcha, told TOI that the community is increasingly feeling that they are being used by leaders for political gains.He said, In the last 40 years, no politician from the community has made efforts to resolve the quota issue. Even during the recent protest, they were unwilling to meet us to discuss the issue. That is when we began stopping them from entering our villages.Other leaders said that the state government is trying to tide over matters till the elections are over. Lok Sabha and state assembly elections are a few months away and the government knows that there will be a huge backlash against them from the community. Therefore, it will keep this issue undecided till the elections are over, Kunjir said.Documents hold the key National OBC Federation president Babanrao Taywade said Kunbi certificates to all Marathas will not give them reservation under the OBC category.Communities under OBC categories have to submit documents of earlier generations either from revenue or education sectors prior to 1967 to avail quota benefits, Taywade told TOI.More than 400 castes under the OBC category qualify for reservation, but some do not have documents prior to 1967 and are left out of the quota, he added.Under Maharashtra Scheduled Caste, 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, caste certificate verification is mandatory.Former member of Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission Rajesh Karpe told TOI that the government will issue the certificates as per the rules of the existing Act but it is impossible for all Marathas to get them without valid documents.Maratha community leaders said that the government should initiate a standard operating procedure to find the old documents for validation.Rajendra Kondhre, president of Akhil Bhartiya Maratha Mahasangh, said nearly 50% government documents have been digitised and the process for the rest must be expedited.Once they are online, it will be easier to find old documents to support Kunbi certificates. Since 2017, we have helped 3,70,000 Marathas find these documents. Once more get the certificates, there will be less unrest, he added.Education For UpliftSome experts said that the Maratha community should focus on skilled-based education for their own uplift instead of waiting for reservation.State president of Sambhaji Brigade Pravin Gaikwad told TOI that he has cautioned his community about falling prey to false promises made by the political leadership.After privatisation of many sectors, government jobs have shrunk. Despite reservation, there wont be enough jobs for them, he said.Gaikwad added that the community already has reservation under the economically weaker section.In Maharashtra, of the 10% EWS quota, nearly 8% goes to the Maratha community. There is already a reservation for Kunbis under OBC category. Other than these reservations, I really do not feel that the Maratha community will get reservations in any other form. Therefore, the community should focus on getting a better education to compete with the rest of the population, he added.

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