Ahead of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly poll, Maharashtra protesters asked questions to a four-time Chief Minister and the prominent leader in the state, Sharad Pawar, on Sunday in Solapur’s Barshi town. Pawar was addressing a public rally in Solapur district, Barshi town, when a mob of protesters from the Maratha community chanted slogans. However, the police immediately detained them.
Later on, a mob of demonstrators stopped Pawar’s car in the district’s Madha taluka and demanded his clear stance on the demand for quotas. Reportedly, Pawar replied that he had been backing the demand of Marathas for reservations right from the beginning.
Why has Pawar never Publicly stated his Position?
One reason Sharad Pawar has never publicly addressed the Maratha reservation issue is that it wasn’t an important political concern during his four terms as Chief Minister. When the demand burgeoned, Pawar was no longer at the forefront of the ruling government.
Known as the tallest Maratha leader in the state, Pawar has always been regarded as a leader with a pan-Maharashtra appeal, rather than just a representative of his community.
The demand for Maratha quota was first raised in 1981 by Congress legislator Annasaheb Patil, a year after Pawar’s first chief ministerial tenure came to an end. The demand took shape in the context of the declining prosperity of middle- and lower-middle-class Marathas—aa politically influential community of mostly peasants and landowning groups who have given the most CMs to the state—aamid divisions of land holdings and diminishing returns from a crisis-ridden agrarian sector.
What is the Maratha Quota?
The Maratha quota refers to a legislative measure in Maharashtra, India, that provides a 10% reservation for the Maratha community in educational institutions and government jobs. This quota was recently passed by the Maharashtra Assembly and is aimed at addressing the perceived social and educational backwardness of the Maratha community.
The demand for Maratha quota was first raised in 1981 by Congress legislator Annasaheb Patil; however, it remained on the back foot in the subsequent years and did not get revived even as Other Backward Class (OBC) reservations became a reality after the Mandal Commission report in 1990.
However, in the years 2016–18, the Maratha quota issue rejuvenated Maharashtra politics, followed by a protest. “Initially, when the agitation was launched in 2016, it was by the Marathas for the Marathas. It was supposed to be non-political. Gradually, the Congress and the NCP used it to target the Davendra Fadnavis-led government,” alleged an MKTM leader. “We are asking ourselves: What has an established leader like Sharad Pawar, a four-time CM, done for Marathas? Why did he not resolve the reservation issue during his tenure? We notice that Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders are even now sitting and taking advantage of the reservation issue to serve their own political interests.”
MKTM leader Ramesh Kere Patil, who was among those who met Pawar on Monday, said, “Our role is limited to ensuring Marathas get the reservation from within the OBC quota… At least, Fadnavis gave a 13% reservation to Marathas during his tenure as CM. What has Sharad Pawar done for us on reservation?”
Like other parties in the state, Sharad Pawar’s NCP supports Maratha reservations but opposes granting them from the OBC quota, as demanded by protesters, fearing it could trigger backlash from the OBC community.
After meeting with quota activists on Monday, Pawar addressed the issue, suggesting the responsibility lies with the government. He added that the opposition would back the Union government if it introduced a law to lift the Supreme Court-imposed 50% cap on reservations.
“There is an obstacle to increasing reservation ambit, as the Supreme Court has ruled that the 50% quota ceiling cannot be breached while granting reservations… This policy should change. The right to change the policy lies with the Modi government. All the political parties in Maharashtra will sink their differences and support the Modi government if it decides to change the policy. We will cooperate and stand by the government in this respect,” Pawar said.
Meanwhile, NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Sharad Pawar urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to convene an all-party meeting, inviting key stakeholders, including Maratha quota agitation leader Manoj Jarange-Patil and OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal, to discuss the issue and work toward a resolution.
“It is for the ruling parties to take initiative and engage organizations to resolve the reservation issue through consensus,” said NCP (SP) state chief Jayant Patil. “Unfortunately, the BJP is trying to provoke some segments to target the opposition leaders. They are trying to attack Sharad Pawar to politicize the issue and hide their failings. We have always played a constructive role on every issue.”
