Backward Commission says government will decide category for the community, if found to be backward
To dodge the predicament over Maratha quota, the Maharashtra State Commission for Backward Classes may pitch the ball in the state government's court over the category in which the community should be included if found to be backward.
A member of the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) said the commission would submit its report on the social, economic, and educational status of the Marathas, however, it will not suggest the category in which the community should be included if found to be backward.
In 2014, the then Congress-NCP government approved reservations to Marathas (16 per cent) and Muslims (5 per cent) in government jobs and educational institutions, taking reservations to 73 per cent from the previous 52 per cent. However, the Bombay High Court stayed implementation of Maratha quota and 5 per cent reservation to Muslims in government service. This had intensified the community's demand for inclusion in Other Backward Class (OBC) quota. The demand was opposed by OBC groups who fear being swamped by numerically-superior Marathas.
"First, we will determine if the Marathas are backward or not. (In which category they will be placed) is the next issue… that is not our concern, it is for the government, legislature and Parliament to decide (the category) if they are found to be backward," the member told DNA.
"The data (on backwardness) must be authentic and substantiated. (Mere) assumptions will not stand," he explained.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier promised that the legal process for Maratha reservations would be completed by November-end.
A former MSBCC member said the commission had the mandate to recommend if a social group fell into the OBC, VJNT or SBC categories.
He added that the demand of Marathas for quotas had been rejected six times, namely, by the B.P Mandal Commission (1980), National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) (2000), and state backward class commissions headed by Justices (Retired) R.M Bapat, B.P Saraf, S.N Khatri and J.H Bhatia.
"The state government is in a bind. It cannot say an outright no to the reservation demand or classify Marathas as OBCs at the risk of antagonizing the later. Increasing quotas beyond the ceiling of 50 per cent imposed by the Supreme Court in the Indra Sawhney case will anger among those in the open category, who form part of the BJP's core constituency. The BJP is also trying to build a socio-political coalition of non-dominant castes and hence cannot afford to let it fall apart by giving reservations to Marathas at others' cost," he explained.
Rejected
- The demand of Marathas for quotas had been rejected six times
- Marathas did not qualify as backward on the three criterias, namely social, educational and economic
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