Is it the end of the road for Maratha reservation?

Maratha reservation activists during a protest near CSMT in December 2020. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Is it the end of the road for the Marathas who have been denied reservation by the Supreme Court? Legally it could be. But politically, it hasn't ended as yet, because it involves the state's largest community which feels cheated, aggrieved and ready to take to the streets whenever the pandemic subsides. More worried are the Maratha politicians, who are either in the government or Opposition. In the initial stages of the protests, Maratha leaders weren't allowed to seize advantage; they were barred from making speeches and made to walk in the last row in case they were allowed to participate in the silent marches the community organised five-six years ago. As the agitation progressed, a select few Maratha politicians found favour with the community when it came to discussing terms with the then BJP-led government, which wasn't seen as a conventional Maratha-controlled regime, but legislated a reservation law. The present dispensation, a collaboration of three parties, is again pursued as a Maratha regime though headed by a non-Maratha Chief Minister. A mighty Maratha, Sharad Pawar, stands rock solid behind the alliance which has a maximum number of Maratha ministers and MLAs. The Marathas may have a reason to feel disenchanted because the state has a Maratha-dominated government while the community's quota in jobs and education has been scrapped. After a knee jerk reaction on the judgment day, the Marathas have been showing much-needed restraint in the time of the pandemic.

The ‘quota war' promises to rage further in the times to come because of its high political quotient. After all, the issue relates to a community that comprises 30 per cent of the state's population. The BJP, which made a law to give Marathas a quota three years ago and maintained it in the high court when challenged, has blamed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for failing deliberately in the apex court. "The MVA did it only for denying the BJP credit. The state government may still make a law and convince the courts why it needs to cross a 50 per cent cap on reservations," said ex-CM Devendra Fadnavis. CM Uddhav Thackeray said the BJP-made law was flawed and quoted the apex court as saying, "the state does not have the right to decide reservations". He put the ball in the PM's court, asking him to legislate a quota for Marathas as early as possible.

What will the MVA do, other than blaming the Modi government, when the Marathas are furious? Will the Centre do it or will the state make a law possible? Nobody knows it yet. Till then, confusion will reign supreme, and the Marathas, who have their loyalties split between all four major parties, will continue to fight among themselves, blaming each other's political masters for ruining the quota they all wanted. The community may be politically divided but its ultimate common goal has been a quota, even as political parties are trying to shift the goalposts. The Maratha feud will be exploited again to make the community swing the poll results. For making it possible, there are some ways of doing it. The community will have to be placated as long as the dream of reservation doesn't come true. The leaders in power can do it by doling out sops that can help the community raise its educational and economic grade. The people in the opposition can consistently create an impression that the government was responsible for the lost battle and is failing the community by not doing much even after the denial of quota.

What are the aspiring Maratha youth, having set their hopes on the reservation, left with now? Despair, for sure. But then, there has to be some way to come out of agitation and distress when things are bad globally.

We know some Maratha elders who suggest that the youth should get back to what they should be doing: study hard to secure admission and jobs on merit. Think as if there wasn't and there wouldn't be any permanent quota for them.

Dharmendra Jore is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @dharmendrajore
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