The Great Maratha question

Known for their historic valour and conquest from Attock in Pakistan to Cuttack in Odisha in pre British times, the Maratha community is a distant shadow of its glorious past. Still a ruling class in Maharashtra the community forms 30 percent of the state’s population. As early as in 19th Century Mahatma Jyotiba Phule talked about peasant’s issues, farmer’s conditions and what governments need to do about it in Maharashtra. However, much water has flown under the Godavari, Bhima and Krishna since then. Observers point out that the Maratha community was always aspirational; however, in post liberalisation times became more aspirational.

“Farming was never profitable but it was a means of sustaining themselves. Earlier they could live of it. People didn’t want to make any profits. Now people are not satisfied with making ends meet. Due to spread of mass media, affluent lifestyle and aspirations have increased. Agriculture needs to be contextualised in this context. As an occupation farming is not profitable compared to bureaucratic services. Mental labour always gave more money than physical labour in the country, “says Tejas Harad, Political Analyst.

The cracks in a feudal system that gave rise to buffer castes like Marathas, Patidars and Gujars are more than visible now with reduced land holdings in the country. Father of Indian constitution Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in his pre-independence essay, ‘Small land holdings and it’s remedies’ had predicted this downfall exactly a century ago, explains social movements observer Sunil Kadam.

“Diminutive size of holdings is said to be greatly harmful to Indian agriculture and the evils are many, “Dr. Ambedkar explained further stating, “When land like movables is considered as a means only of subsistence and enjoyment the natural law of succession divides it like them among all the children of the family of all of whom the subsistence and enjoyment may be equally dear to the father (thus tending to have small land holdings)” adds Dr. Ambedkar.

And hence, Agriculture production is on the rise but the holdings are low. The land owners of yore are reduced to having small land holdings now. “In many landed communities like the Marathas, education didn't receive the amount of importance that it should have. The employment of women was also looked down upon in feudal societies. The means of production ended and it became greatly difficult to sustain. All this resulted into buffer castes going pauper and asking for reservations,” explains Kadam.

In today’s times 83% of farmers in India and around 72% in Maharashtra are small land holders even among the Marathas only 20 percent belong to the creamy layer. The rest are really poor.

It is these fragmented land holdings that pushed the Marathas to the city but the situation here was also far from rosy.

“Many members of Maratha families shifted to urban cities for education. However, even post education getting jobs is increasingly getting difficult. The dilemma is that they go back to their villages as they don't get jobs in their cities. They think there are jobs in the government sector. This sector is creating less or no jobs in a post liberalised economy,” says retired Professor and Political Analyst Dr. Surendra Jondhale.

The Maratha youth largely have taken conventional education and not professional education like medical or engineering. Although influential Maratha leaders have established educational institutes of repute the beneficiaries of these institutions were sons of Maratha elite or those who could afford the steep fees of these institutes. Another attraction for Maratha youth is to appear for civil service examinations. There are significant numbers coming from the Marathas and the OBCs. The shrinking of government jobs has negatively impacted the aspirations of Maratha youth. This has caused frustration and cynicism in the Maratha youth.

“The Marathas have increasingly begin to believe that members of OBCs,SCs and ST have got reservations as well as jobs. However, that time was different when there were more government jobs on offer. Now there are fewer jobs in the public sector. It is an illusion in the mind that reservation will bring jobs,” explains Prof. Jondhale.  

The combined frustration sought a political outburst. The Marathas organized silent marches throughout the state two years back and started blaming the established political leadership of the Marathas. The established parties supported the morchas but were not at the forefront leading them.

However, experts caution against presuming that reservations will bring in jobs.

“Equating reservations with jobs is like creating an illusion of sorts. The OBCs will be unwilling to accept Marathas which will lead to tensions and conflicts among the Marathas. OBC is the support base of the BJP whom they won't like to disconcert. There will be more tensions among BJP and Marathas which will decide the electoral scenario of 2019, “ predicts Prof. Jondhale.

“Marathas have come to accept reservations as a reality. The system has failed them. Everybody is talking about reservations. The policy is attractive for them and therefore they are demanding it, concludes Harad.