Maharashtra is hit by a double whammy. While the state is facing a social churn over the demand by Marathas for inclusion among Other Backward Classes (OBCs), the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission (MSBCC)—tasked with assessing their backwardness—is mired in controversy.
Early this month, two commission members quit over what they allege is the state government’s “interference” in its functioning and attempts to dilute the norms to provide quotas for the dominant Marathas. This was followed by the resignation of the panel’s chairman, Justice Anand Nirgude (retired).
Though the state government has appointed Justice Sunil Shukre (retired) as chairman, the events have promoted allegations by these former members and even the Opposition parties in Maharashtra about the state interfering in the working of the panel.
Amidst the quota protests by the Marathas and the counter-mobilisation by OBCs, the state government had, on November 13, laid down the terms of reference for the MSBCC to collect empirical data on the backwardness of the Marathas.
However, two MSBCC members, advocate B.L. Sagar Killarikar and Laxman Hake, who sought a wider, caste-based survey rather than a data collection exercise covering just the Marathas, resigned. They insisted on a comparative exercise to prove the backwardness of Marathas. They claimed they had resigned to protest the government’s attempts to interfere in the commission’s functioning.
A third MSBCC member, Sanjeev Sonawane, had quit earlier after being appointed as vice-chancellor of the Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University.
The MSBCC has 10 members, including the chairman, besides a member-secretary, who is a state government official. Sonawane’s resignation had brought down the strength to nine, and Killarikar and Hake’s exits have pushed it further down to seven.
The issue of a pan-caste socio-economic survey was raised in the commission’s meetings on November 18 and December 1. The MSBCC members were split equally on the issue.
“The government is not allowing the commission to work independently. It is exercising its influence over the chairman. On August 12, 2021, we had decided on a comprehensive caste and socio-economic survey and submitted an estimated budget of Rs 435 crore. But the state government is yet to sanction it,” said Killarikar. He charged that the state government was intent on overriding the commission for an empirical study through a Pune-based institute instead of using government personnel as enumerators.
On December 12, Killarikar claimed that deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had opposed a caste-wise survey and favoured a sample survey by a Pune-based institute. Fadnavis, however, said the state government was committed to providing reservations for the Marathas, and it was for the panel—and not the state government—to decide on the survey and its modalities.
“Such sample surveys or reservations based on them will not stand in a court of law,” added Killarikar. He said they were opposed to a survey of the Marathas alone as this went against the August 2021 resolution. According to him, attempts were made in the November 18 meeting to bring in major changes to the parameters to help fit the Marathas into it but this was opposed by most members.
“These parameters were amended in 2021-22; how can they be changed just because the issue of Maratha quotas is before the commission? Won’t this be discriminatory as we have struck down the inclusion of other castes in the OBC category using these very norms?” asked Killarikar.
Hake too has charged the government with “trying to encroach on the commission’s turf”.
Maharashtra’s OBC and Bahujan kalyan minister Atul Save said chief minister Eknath Shinde was upset over the MSBCC dragging its feet on the Maratha quota issue, which prompted the two members’ exit. Nirgude put in his papers on December 4, and his resignation was accepted by the government on December 9. On December 12, the leader of the Opposition, Vijay Wadettiwar, questioned the government in the state assembly on the spate of resignations in the MSBCC.
However, a member of the MSBCC denied the state government had tried to force the commission’s hand. “The government just told us through the member secretary to process the Maratha reservation issue fast, considering the social pressures,” said the member, refusing to be named.
Killarikar and Hake said the show-cause notices served to them was an attempt to build pressure. The notices seek explanations from Killarikar for his verbal tiff with Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University officials during an official tour of the MSBCC last year, and Hake (a member of the Opposition Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) for expressing his opinions on social media. “Members who refused to do the government’s bidding were targeted,” alleges Hake. Now, the government has to weather two storms simultaneously.
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