Maharashtra Government's 10% Reservation For Marathas: "Betrayal", Maratha Quota Leader Reacts (image:facebook/manoj jarange patil)

Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government on Tuesday approved the draft bill proposing 10 percent Maratha reservation in education and government jobs. However, reacting to Cabinet”s move, Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil said that this decision is a betrayal to the Maratha and added, “make a a law on ‘sage-soyare’”.

The bill will be tabled today in a special Assembly session and it will mark third attempt in a decade by the Maharashtra government to initiate a legislation ensure reservation benefits to Maratha community.

Quota activist told ANI: “This decision of the government has been taken by keeping election and votes in mind. This is a betrayal to the Maratha community…Maratha community won”t trust you. We will benefit only from our original demands. Make a law on ‘sage-soyare’…This reservation won”t hold. The Government will now lie that the reservation has been given.”

Manoj Jarange Patil is currently undertaking a indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Saarati village in Jalna district and it has entered seventh day. The strike began on February 10 and the activist”s health condition is already deteriorating. Manoj Patil demanded for a separate law on the lines of draft notification issued by the Maharashtra government on January regarding the Maratha reservation.

The activist disapproved any proposal for Maratha reservation beyond the 50 percent cap and claimed that Maratha community members should be given reservation based on Kunbi records and in respect to the term “sage soyare.” The Marathi term “sage soyare” means through birth relations and through relations by marriage, and will basically mean that a significant part of the Maratha community now stands to gain quota benefits as Kunbis, The Print reports.

The Maharashtra Backward Class Commission (MBCC) headed by Justice (Retired) Sunil Shukre submitted its report on Maratha reservation to Eknath Shinde on Friday. The committee studied the social and educational backwardness of the Maratha community based on a recent survey of around 2.5 crore homes within a span of nine days. On the basis of the report, the committee advanced a 10% reservation for Marathas in education and jobs. Agreeing this report, Shinde government extended reservations to Marathas above the 50 percent mark in a special Assembly session.