Rasta Roko' On March 3rd: Manoj Jarange Patil Demands Wider Maratha Reservation Criteria, Refuses to End Fast

The 'Rasta Roko' protest is to demand the inclusion of all Marathas as Kunbi, a caste in Maharashtra falling under the Other Backward Caste.

Maratha Reservation Activist Manoj Jarage Patil on Wednesday, announced the ‘Rasta Roko’ protest to be held across the state on March 3. The protest is to demand the implementation of the ‘Sage Soyare’ ordinance notification in Maharashtra. The Maharashtra government passed a similar bill yesterday providing 10% reservation in jobs and educational institutions to the Marathas, but the bill failed to meet the demand of the reservation activists. Following this, Patil has refused to end his fast-unto-death strike.  

Although Patil welcomed the bill, he voiced his concerns regarding the bill's likelihood of successfully undergoing legal scrutiny. He said that a similar bill was subsequently dismissed in 2021 due to legal challenges.  

Reasons For Continued Hunger Srike  

The demands of Patil specifically insist on the inclusion of all Marathas as Kunbi, a caste in Maharashtra falling under the Other Backward Caste (OBC), thus urging for a broader eligibility criteria based on this classification. He pushes for the extension of Kunbi registration to blood relatives (Sage Soyare). However, In January, after receiving assurances from the state government, Jarange had decided to end the protest. Nevertheless, on February 10, he initiated a new hunger strike which continues still. 

The proposed 'sage-soyare' draft notification streamlines the process for issuing Kunbi certificates to Maratha relatives, provided they can furnish relevant documents establishing their Kunbi lineage. This includes individuals within the same patriarchal lineage and those connected through marriage within the same caste. These Kunbi certificates are pivotal in securing OBC quota inclusion for Marathas, leading to heightened concerns and opposition as Marathas anticipate a significant impact on their reservation allotment.  

What’s the New Bill? 

The Maharashtra government unanimously passed the Maratha Reservation Bill on Tuesday after considering all the observations made by the Supreme Court. The bill provides 10% reservation in jobs and education to the Maratha Community, which accounts for 28% of the state’s population. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde introduced the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Bill 2024. This bill is drafted following the recommendations of the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission, which identified the Marathas as a socially and educationally backward community.