The Maratha quota agitation and the Other Backward Class (OBC) counter-protest raging in the State’s Marathwada region exacerbated on Wednesday with OBC activist and former Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) member Laxman Hake refusing to quit his hunger fast unless the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government gave the OBC community a concrete assurance that their existing reservation would not be harmed in order to accommodate the Maratha quota.
Mr. Hake, who is fast emerging as the OBC community’s face to counter Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, claimed that the government had not yet sent a proper delegation to address OBC concerns even as his hunger strike entered its sixth day in Jalna’s Ambad tehsil.
The activist, whose health is fast deteriorating, said that while individual political leaders from various parties had called on him, an official delegation from the government had not arrived.
While Mr. Hake remained unmoved, OBC community members adopted a more aggressive posture, launching ‘rasta rokos’ and burning tyres in a number of places in Jalna and Beed districts.
“The OBCs and the Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribes have always remained a faceless entity. Their political representation has always remained poor. Perhaps the government thinks we are not worth taking note of. That is fine, but at least try and address concerns of the OBC community,” he said.
Vowing to defend the OBC reservation, Mr. Hake, questioning Mr. Jarange-Patil’s demand that the Marathas get reservation under the Kunbi OBC category, stressed that the OBC reservation pie was not some ‘garibi hatao’ (poverty alleviation) programme to benefit economically backward members of the Maratha community, which is by and large the politically dominant class in the State.
“This OBC reservation arrangement is not a ration shop doling out reservation benefits. The economically backward sections among the Marathas have already been provided for via Central amendment in form of the EWS scheme by which they can avail benefits. So, who are Manoj Jarange-Patil’s advisors who are telling him that the Marathas will get justice only if they secure reservation under the OBC Kunbi category?” Mr. Hake said.
The OBC activist further pointed out that the ‘Maratha’ and ‘Kunbi’ categories were “historically different” while quashing Mr. Jarange Patil’s insistence that both categories were essentially the same.
Meanwhile, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar, who met with Mr. Hake, reiterated his party’s stance that the Marathas ought to get a quota without disturbing the OBC reservation pie.
Mr. Ambedkar further warned of a dangerous ‘Maratha versus OBC’ conflict taking root in Marathwada.
“This is a ticklish issue. Unfortunately, none of the Maratha leaders, who won the recent Lok Sabha election, are willing to speak on the dangers if such a caste conflict erupts. They are merely sitting back and watching the show,” Mr. Ambedkar said.
