Maharashtra Government demands immediate bench to hear interim order for Maratha Reservation

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has submitted its 4th application before the Supreme Court of India demanding an immediate judicial bench to hear the interim order granting reservation to the Maratha community. The state had earlier filed an application in Supreme Court seeking a stay on the interim order. A three-judge Supreme Court bench on 2018 had stayed the implementation of the reservation to Marathas in Jobs and Education, with another SC order in September affirming the stay.

Following the decision of stay in the interim order by Supreme Court, the Maratha Kranti Morcha has conducted many protests march demanding Maharashtra Government to take immediate steps to continue reservation for Marathas in employment and education-related sectors. Members of the group had blockaded the private residence Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Speaking to Madhyamam, a Dalit activist from Maharashtra said that reservation to Marathas is acceptable, but with all political parties backing it, none were concerned with how it is going to affect other backward class people in Maharashtra.

"Marathas are the dominant class...they do discriminate people on the basis of caste and now they are asking for reservation," she said. "Marathas are already getting benefits from EWS. If the Government is giving reservation to them there should be some criteria…they should tell which sub-caste and which criteria they should give to identity the real needy ones."

The legislative council in the state in 2019 passed a bill to amend SEBC Act (Socially Economically Backward Class) to ensure 16% reservation to students of Maratha community in postgraduate medical admissions. The State government has enacted Maharashtra State reservation for socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC) it makes Act 2018 under which provision of reservation in the admissions to educational institutions and appointments in the public service for SEBCs which include Maratha community.

The first application seeking immediate setting up of bench to hear the petition took place on October 7 this year. Second application seeking the plea was on October 28, and a third application came on November 2 this year. Meanwhile, backward sections in the state have condemned the decision taken by Maharashtra government to implement reservation for majority Maratha population.