Manoj Jarange Patil announces statewide Rasta Roko on March 3
Manoj Jarange Patil announces statewide Rasta Roko on March 3
Manoj Jarange Patil, a Maratha reservation activist, declared on Wednesday that a statewide Rasta Roko protest would take place on March 3 to call for the implementation of Maharashtra’s “Sage Soyare” (relatives from the family tree) ordinance notification.
In spite of the Maharashtra government’s Tuesday passing of a bill giving Marathas a quota, Patil refused to call off his hunger strike. Although Patil applauded the action, he was unsure if the bill would hold up in court.
Patil has been adamant about a reservation under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category ever since a bill akin to it was overturned in 2021 due to legal difficulties.
Patil requests that all Marathas receive reservations in accordance with their status as Kunbi, an OBC caste in Maharashtra. He desires the ability to register a Kunbi for one’s blood relatives as well.
The proposed “sage-soyare” notification makes it easier to issue Kunbi certificates to Maratha relatives who can provide proof of their Kunbi ancestry, as well as to members of the same patriarchal lineage and relatives acquired through marriage, even if they belong to the same caste. Marathas are upset because they believe there will be a significant infringement on their quota, and the Kunbi certificates guarantee that they will be included in the OBC quota.
