Maratha Reservation: CM Eknath Shinde Calls An All-Party Meeting

To resolve the Maratha reservation issue, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has called for an all-party meeting today, September 11, at the Sahyadri Guest House. The issue has been gaining momentum not only in the Marathwada region but also in other parts of the state.

At the same time, a Maratha group in Thane has declared a 'bandh' today to protest against the recent use of force by police on protesters in Jalna. The bandh is backed by the Sambhaji Brigade-supported Sakal Maratha Morcha. It has received support from local opposition parties, including the Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the city unit of Congress, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction).

In response to the bandh call, police have been deployed throughout the city to maintain law and order. The police have assured that all necessary security measures have been taken since the call for a peaceful shutdown was issued.

On September 8, Eknath Shinde met with a group of Jalna protesters in Mumbai. He afterwards claimed that "there was a positive discussion". However, no conclusion or decision has been taken so far.

#जालना येथील आंदोलकांच्या शिष्टमंडळासमवेत मुख्यमंत्री @mieknathshinde यांच्या अध्यक्षतेखाली सह्याद्री अतिथीगृह येथे बैठकीस प्रारंभ झाला आहे. उपमुख्यमंत्री देवेंद्र फडणवीस, केंद्रीय रेल्वे राज्यमंत्री रावसाहेब दानवे, महसूल मंत्री राधाकृष्ण विखे पाटील, ग्रामविकास मंत्री गिरीश… pic.twitter.com/MLY6iYbZB9

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) September 8, 2023

The situation escalated into violence on September 1 during a Maratha community reservation protest in Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district. The police attempted to hospitalise a man on a hunger strike for the Maratha quota, but the protesters refused. This turned the protest violent, with injuries among both protesters and police officers.

Manoj Jarange, an advocate for the Maratha quota, has since been on a hunger strike. He has demanded an OBC quota or Kunbi status for all Marathas, but talks with the state government have so far been unfruitful.

Reservations for Maratha community

The Maratha community was granted quotas in education and jobs by the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government in 2018. However, this decision was overturned in May 2021 by the Supreme Court.

The court ruled that the Maratha community was not socially or educationally backward compared to other groups and rejected a review petition claiming the quota law was unconstitutional in April 2023.