Village panchayats pass the Maratha reservation resolution

The residents of Langeshwar village in Usmanabad district, passed the Maratha reservation resolution in its general body meeting on Sunday. There are many village panchayats including Langeshwar's that passed the reservation and other resolutions in their general body meetings as a part of the mass appeal.

As per the Govt circular, village panchayat has to conduct three general body meetings that mostly happen on January 26, August 15 and October 2.

"We had appealed to many village panchayats for approving the Maratha reservation resolution in their general body meetings. These resolution copies will be submitted to the state government through the collector. This move will help to strengthen the major demands of Maratha Kranti morcha," said Liladhar Patil, senior Maratha leader.

The resolutions read about capital punishment to the Kopardi rape, amendment to the atrocities act, implementation of Dr Swaminathan's report highlighting fair prices of grains, Shivaji Maharaj memorial in Arabian sea project, etc. All these were unanimously approved in the general body meeting of the village panchayat.

"The village panchayat resolutions can be used as the referential evidence in the court. The 73 amendment in the Indian constitution has given the independent rights to the local bodies," said Advocate Vishal Kadam, activist of the Maratha Kranti morcha.

Advocate Kadam is studying all aspect of the Maratha reservation and collecting all sort of the evidence to support the demand. "It builds the pressure on the government," he added. "On Sunday, our village panchayat passed the resolution of Maratha reservation, punishment to Kopardi accused etc. Dalit, Vanjari, Dhangar and Muslim community unanimously approved the resolution in general body meeting," said, Mrs Spruti Gavande, Sarpanch of Lok-Khed village panchayat in Akot Taluka in Akola district.

"The Marathas are no more land lords. The drought and bifurcation of farm lands have made them marginal farmer and labours. So no one opposed the resolution. In fact, they told in the meeting that they are happy to help and uplift the Maratha community," Mrs Gavande said.

Nikhil Gavande, husband of Spruti Gavande said that they had received the phone call from the Sakal Maratha Samaj, Akola district, requesting to pass the resolutions in the general body meeting.

"In our region, there is difference between the Marathas and kunbhi. Both are one, but are treated separately. Kunbhi, however, are getting the OBC reservation while Marathas are deprived. This political mistake has to be corrected in order to bring the Maratha community under one Kunbhi-OBC umbrella.", Gavande said.

According to Pravin Gaikwad, senior Sambhaji brigade leader, the other community particularly OBC and SC should be disturbed with the Maratha community reservation demands as the society is divided into two groups; one who wants to abolish the reservation such as RSS, and the other who wants to retain because the society is not yet progressed.

"The Maratha community doesn't want to snatch someone's rights. So let's help each other and put the impoverished communities on the path of progress," Gaikwad added.