Gadchiroli Sept. 7 (District Correspondent) The Rashtriya OBC Mahasangha has strongly opposed giving reservation to Marathas from OBC quota. A detailed memorandum addressed to the chief minister was today submitted to the Resident district Collector by the strong delegation of the Mahasangha.
The memorandum demanded to stop the infiltration of Marathas into OBCs by giving Kunbi certificates in an unconstitutional manner. The Mahasangha has also condemned the police lathi charge on Maratha activists agitating in connection with Maratha reservation recently at Jalna.
The memorandum said that the Maratha community has been demanding reservation since 1993. But, as it does not fit the criteria of backwardness, Khatri and Bapat Commission had denied them reservation. It has been proved that the Maratha society is not socially and educationally backward. However, if the state government under the pressure of the Maratha agitation tries to give reservation to the Marathas from the OBC quota by giving them Kunbi caste certificates, it will be an injustice to the 65% OBC community, it stated. The Mahasangha has warned that the OBC community will take to the streets and protest against the government if such a decision is taken by the state government.
The Mahasangha is not opposed to giving reservation to the Maratha community. They are already getting EWS reservation from open category. The state and central governments can increase it or if necessary, amend the constitution and give them a separate category on the lines of EWS, it has suggested. A caste-wise census will provide accurate data on the population of all castes and their social, educational and economic status. Accordingly, the socio-educational-economic backwardness of other castes including the Maratha community will be determined. The caste wise census should therefore be conducted, so that benefit of reservation in proportion to their population can be given, Mahasangha has demanded.
The reports of the State Backward Classes Commissions and the judgments of the High Court as well as the Supreme Court have not accepted that Marathas and Kunbis are one and the same. Therefore, the state government should not make hurry unconstitutionally to give reservation to the Maratha community from OBC quota under the pressure of some Maratha leaders. The government should not under any circumstances make the Marathas OBC by giving Kunbi certificate, it further demanded.
If the state government takes an unfair decision against the OBC quota, OBCs will take to the streets in the entire state, warned the memorandum. The OBCs will vote against all the parties in the upcoming elections that take anti-OBC stance, it also warned.
National Vice President of the Mahasangha Prof. Seshrao Yelekar, District President Dadaji Choudhary, Vice President Pandurang Ghotekar, Secretary Prof. Devanand Kamdi, Treasurer Dr. Suresh Ladke, Organizer Suresh Bhandekar, Chandrakant Shivankar, Women President Sangita Navghade, City President Sonali Punyapreddiwar, Youth President Rahul Bhandekar, OBC Sangharsh Samiti President Arun Munghate, Dadaji Chafle, Prabhakar Wasekar, Pandurang Nagapure, Pandit Pudke, Adv. Sanjay Thakre, Jayant Yelmule, Jagdish Maske, Devaji Sontakke, Bandu Shaniware, Srihari Chaudhary, P. P. Bhagadkar, Trimbak Karodkar and many others were present at the delegation.
Photo A delegation of OBC Mahasangha submitting memorandum to the RDC.
