Nizam Era Maratha's to get Kumbi caste certificate: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde

Mumbai: The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday decided that Kunbi caste certificates will be issued to those Marathas hailing from the Marathwada region who possess revenue or education documents from the Nizam era that recognise them as Kunbis, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said.

Kunbis, a community associated with agriculture, are grouped under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in Maharashtra and enjoy reservation benefits in education and government jobs.

Those belonging to the Maratha community in Marathwada with references of being Kunbis in the Nizam-era revenue and education documents will get Kunbi certificates, the chief minister told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

Shinde said he would speak with his Telangana counterpart for any help in this matter. The Marathwada region was part of the erstwhile Hyderabad kingdom before it became part of Maharashtra.

In a separate statement, Shinde said efforts are on to give the Maratha community reservation without affecting the OBCs. He alleged efforts are being made to create a rift between Maratha and OBC communities.

Shinde said a five-member panel headed by Judge Sandeep Shinde (retired) will determine the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), including legal and administrative framework, for giving caste certificates to members of the Maratha community referred to as Kunbis in the Nizam-era documents.

The panel will submit its report in a month. Additional Chief Secretary (revenue), Principal Secretary (law and justice), and collectors of concerned districts (in Marathwada) will be members of this committee. The divisional commissioner, Aurangabad, will be the member secretary of the panel.

Quota protester Manoj Jarange, who has been on a hunger strike for the last eight days in Jalna district, has been demanding that Marathas in Marathwada be recognised as Kunbis based on the old records.

Jarange said he would announce a decision on continuing his hunger protest at 11 AM on Thursday.

The chief minister's announcement came after protests by members of the Maratha community across the state in view of the lathicharge by police on pro-quota protesters in Jalna district on September 1. He reiterated that the state government is committed to giving the reservation to Marathas.

"The erstwhile Devendra Fadnavis government had worked sincerely to give reservation to the Maratha community. The decision was challenged in the Bombay High Court but it upheld the government's decision. However, the quota was struck down by the Supreme Court," Shinde added.

Without naming the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the CM said the Maratha reservation was struck down when "those people criticising us now were in power".

Jarange said: "I spoke to the chief minister who told me that Marathas from Marathwada who possess genealogical documentary proof of being Kunbis will get the fresh (Kunbi) caste certificate. Those Marathas who do not possess documentary proof of being Kunbis, their issue will be solved through a state government-appointed panel within a stipulated time".

Inputs from PTI