In a shocking video that has surfaced from Jalna district of Maharashtar, Maratha protestors set a State Transport bus on fire at On Monday 26 February, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk of Tirthpuri city of Ambad taluka. The Maratha community has been protesting against the state Govt on the issue of Maratha reservation.

 

Meanwhile, considering the current situation in Jalna in the backdrop of the Maratha agitation, a curfew has been imposed in Ambad taluka of Maharashtra's Jalna district.

 

Situation remains tense in the town with the bus being torched in Ambad. Government offices, schools, movement on national highways, milk distribution, media and hospitals are exempted from this order

 

Jalna collector Srikrushna Panchal in the order said Manoj Jarange Patil announced on Sunday that he will go to Mumbai and stage a protest over his demand of reservation for the Maratha community.

 

Reports say that people may arrive in huge numbers to Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna, where the activist has been staging a hunger strike, to stop him (from going to Mumbai). Due to the huge crowd, there is a possibility that traffic on Dhule-Mumbai highway and other nearby areas may be affected, the order mentioned.

 

The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly had passed the Maratha Reservation Bill tabled on February 20. However, Jarange refused to call off his hunger strike and further demanded that the NDA government implement the 'Sage Soyare' ordinance within two days. He also announced a fresh round of agitation on February 24 if the government failed to accept his demands.

 

 

 

Marathas comprise 28 percent of the total population of the state. According to the Bill, the Marathas are eligible for reservation on grounds of social and educational backwardness. The Bill gives the right to the state government to prepare a list of communities who are socially and educationally backward in the state. There is a provision for a review of the reservation policy after 10 years once it comes into effect.

According to the Bill, if a Maratha person has documents to show that he or she belongs to the Kunbi community, the person’s blood relatives too would get Kunbi caste certificates. However, this has made Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange unhappy. Jarange has been at the forefront of the Maratha quota agitation. His demand is for blood relatives to be allowed to have Kunbi registration. Kunbi, an agrarian community, falls under the OBC category.

The Bill highlighted that the Maratha community faces significant social and economic challenges. It also revealed that a substantial percentage of Maratha families fall below the poverty line and are eligible for reservation based on their socio-economic status. Also, the Bill stated most farmers’ suicides in the state occur in Maratha households.

Meanwhile, the state already has a 10 percent quota for the Economically Weaker Section in which Marathas are the biggest beneficiaries, claiming 85 percent of the reservation. The OBC community reportedly fears the dilution of its quota. Also, some Muslim leaders have made a fresh demand for 5 percent reservation for the community.