The pro-Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, who was stopped by the police at Vashi with a large number of his supporters, on Saturday suspended his protest for a moment after the Maharashtra Government issued a gazette notification while accepting most of his demands. Jarange-Patil, who had marched from Jalna district with a resolve to get a reservation for the Maratha community from the state government, withdrew his fast after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who was accompanied by ministers Girish Mahajan, Deepak Kesarkar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha, offered him lemon juice.
The government notification reads ‘’Maharashtra scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, denotified tribes (Vimukta Jatis), noMadic tribes, other backward classes and special backward category (regulation of issuance and Verification of) caste certificate act, 2000.’’ The government, through the draft rules, has proposed to amend the Maharashtra Scheduled Castes, Denotified Tribes (Vimukta Jatis), Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category (Regulation of Issuance and Verification of) Caste Certificate Rules, 2012. These rules shall be taken into consideration by the state government on or after February 16, 2024.
The government has sought suggestions and objections which the government shall consider.
DRAFT RULES
These rules may be called the Maharashtra Scheduled Castes, Denotified Tribes (Vimukta Jatis), Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category (Regulation of Issuance and Verification of) Caste Certificate (Amendment) Rules, 2024. The term ‘’Sage Soyre’’ has been included in clause h (1), which
This includes relatives of the applicant’s father, grandfather, grandfather, and earlier generations forming out of marriages within the same castes. This will consist of relations formed from marriages within the same caste”. Jarange-Patil had demanded the Kunbi certificates from the Maratha community from Marathwada and the rest of Maharashtra and Sage Soyare. He had also pressed for a ‘’Sarsakat’’ (blanket) reservation to the Maratha community. However, this demand does not find any reference in the government notification.
Further, in Rule 5, a sub-rule (6) provision has been added whereby ‘’Provided further that, upon submitting an affidavit by the applicant establishing the relations with his blood relatives i.e. Uncle, Nephew and other members of his family as well as patriarchal relatives who have found Kunbi records being the applicant’s ‘’Sage-soyare’’ and after verifying such kunbi certificates of blood relatives and Sage-soyare by conducting field enquiry and verification, Kunbi caste certificate shall be issued immediately. Kunbi caste certificate shall immediately be issued to the blood relatives of the persons upon finding record of being Kunbi, after presenting an affidavit establishing their relationship with such persons under The Maharashtra Scheduled Castes, Denotified Tribes (Vimukta Jatis), Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category (Regulation of Issuance and Verification of) Caste Certificate Rules, 2012.’’ The Kunbi certificates will be issued after the Maratha community members submit affidavits about ‘’Sage soyare’’ and after establishing their relations with blood relatives, including uncle, nephew and other members of his family, as well as patriarchal relatives who have found Kunbi records.
All the ‘’Sage soyare’’ being about the persons belonging to the Maratha community whose record of being Kunbi has been found shall be given the Kunbi caste certificates based on the Kunbi records of such persons belonging to the Maratha community.
Further, the ‘Sage soyare’’ of the person belonging to the Maratha community whose Kunbi record has been found shall be the one amongst the relations within whom the marriages are held traditionally. ‘’But the sage-soyare shall be considered among the relations/relatives from the patriarchal relatives as well as the relations forming out of marriages and proof being given to prove that the marriage is within the same caste, the Kunbi caste certificate shall be issued after field enquiry,’’ the notification says.
The relatives, being sage-soyare forming out of marriages within the same caste in the state. A person with a Kunbi record may apply for a Kunbi caste certificate. ‘’Provided that proof of such marriage is within the same caste be submitted as well as be established in the field enquiry and upon verification of the documents related to such Kunbi records and after following due procedure thereof, the Competent Authority shall issue Kunbi caste certificate to the applicant,’’ it adds.
These provisions shall apply to the Scheduled Castes, Denotified Tribes (Vimukta Jatis), Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category for issuance of caste certificate.”
As per Rule no 16 (h), Attested copy of the decision of the Scrutiny Committee and the Validity Certificate of the applicant’s father in blood relation or real uncle or any other relative of the applicant in blood relation from the paternal side or sage-soyare, if available.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
