Agitators from Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) demanding reservation for Maratha Community in government jobs and educational institutions torched vehicles, stopped a few local trains, tried to stop local trains and also pelted stones at shops and even at police personnel, during the bandh called in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane on July 25. All buses and trains between Mumbai and Pune had to be stopped due to violence.
MKM began its strike in Marathwada on July 18, when Chief Minister announced govt’s mega recruitment drive to fill 72,000 posts. But, on July 23, Kakasaheb Shinde, a 27-year-old unemployed youth committed suicide in Aurangabad, and the strike took a violent turn. MKM, on July 25, also called for a bandh in Mumbai that also turned violent and had to be called off. Though the bandh in Mumbai has been called off, the strike is on across the state with agitators having torched one more bus in Kolhapur on July 26.
Pravin Gaikwad, the state coordinator of Maratha Kranti Morcha, under which all Maratha organisations across the state are organizing the strike, said, “We want the state to postpone recruitment drive till HC decisions come in.”
Why did the strike turn violent?
Pravin Gaikwad, added, “It was a peaceful protest until CM Fadnavis accused Marathas of opposing the mega recruitment drive; and that the community is against the recruitment of people from other scheduled castes and tribes.
We just want to postpone the drive. CM also accused that Marathas are going to create law and order problem at Wari, the cultural and religious festival in which 10 lakh people gather, at Pandharpur on July 22. That gave the message that Marathas are against other backward castes who participate in the Wari. These accusations have sent the wrong message among Maratha youth who later turned violent.”
Even Sharad Pawar, chief of Nationalist Congress Party, reiterated the same saying irresponsible statements by ministers and the chief minister on the entire episode had agitated the youth.
Legal issue
Demand for reservation by Marathas is old, and in 2014, ahead of the assembly elections, the Congress-NCP government had decided to provide reservations for Marathas in government jobs and educational institutions. But, the Bombay High Court stayed the order as per Supreme Court guidelines, the cap on reservations is 50%. The state already has 52% reservation, and further 16% reservation was stayed. BJP in its election manifesto had also promised reservation to Marathas, but the act brought by BJP state government in 2015 was also stayed by HC. In 2017 State government constituted the Backward Commission to collect data proving that Marathas are indeed a backward community. The commission is yet to submit its report on the basis of which the state plans to argue in the court that Marathas are backward.
Morchas were peaceful in the past
Shantaram Kunjir, coordinator of Maratha Kranti Morcha, under this platform all Maratha organisations from the state have been on strike, said, “In 2016, Marathas held 58 silent morchas across the state with each morcha having over 2 lakh participants demanding reservation. BJP led state government promised reservations and various measures like a scholarship for Maratha students, loans without interests for Marathas for business. Then we stopped the agitations.”
He added that since the government did not keep its promise, things have reached a boiling point.
Earlier promises by state remain unfulfilled
Santosh Shinde, Pune chief of Sambhaji Brigade, another Maratha Organisation, said, “BJP government had promised 50% fees deduction for Maratha students whose family income is less than ₹8 lakh. However, colleges don’t give admission to our kids if we pay only half the fees. State had promised that hostels would be built in each district but not a single hostel has become functional since 2016. Another promise was that loans would be given without interests to Maratha youth to start businesses, but banks don’t provide loans without submitting collateral. All the promises have proved false.”
Ajinkya Shinde, youth leader of AAP, Mumbai, supported the reservation, said, “Maratha should get a reservation, but it should not affect reservations of OBC, ST and SCs. The strike turned violent because the BJP government has not done anything for reservation in the last four years.”
Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, opposition leader in Maharashtra Assembly of Congress, said, “Congress supports the reservation demand, and hence it came up with the ordinance granting 16% reservation. BJP government is responsible for current law and order problem created in the state. BJP should present its stand on the reservation as soon as possible.”
What is next?
Gaikwad said, “Morcha never had any leader, and now youth have lost patience. They have become violent. They also encircled Chandrakant Khaire, MP, Aurangabad when he went to the funeral of Shinde and raised slogans against him. If the state does not take affirmative action, no one will be able to control them.”
Though Chief Minister Fadnavis had called a member of Morcha for meeting on July 25 three days after the strike turned violent, Morcha members are firm that they want only reservation.