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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday agreed to give a sympathetic ear to the demands of the Maratha community.
About nine lakh Marathas from all over the State held a massive rally at Azad Maidan here, seeking reservations in jobs and educational institutions.
After meeting a delegation from the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM), Fadnavis said their reservation demands will be examined by the Backward Caste Commission and its report will be published at the earliest.
He also announced land and grant of ₹5 crore to build exclusive hostels for students from the Maratha community in every district, and scholarships for them in 605 courses. The MKM accepted these proposals and the protest was called off.
The Marathas, under the MKM banner, displayed their strength through a ‘silent protest’ at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. The ground, which is usually used for political rallies, was packed to the brim. Despite the numbers, no untoward incident was reported. It was the 58th rally of MKM in the State.
The MKM took a procession from Jijamata Udyaan (Byculla zoo) in south Mumbai to Azad Maidan near Mumbai’s iconic CST station, demanding reservation in government jobs as well as amendments to the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, so that it is not misused against Marathas. The protesters also sought assured and remunerative prices for agricultural produce.
Dashrath Amle, a fruits and vegetable trader from Vashi market who attended the rally, said that due to reservations a large section of youngsters in the Maratha community are not getting government jobs. Also, their agricultural lands are not producing enough to sustain them. “Either give reservations to Marathas or completely remove reservations from Maharashtra, so that the whole system becomes merit based and only the best candidates get jobs and promotions,” he said.
Swapana Shinde, an unemployed nursing graduate, said that in spite of A grades, she is finding it tough to get a government job.
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