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Around 10,000 protestors from the Kunbi assemblage and allied OBC groups gathered astatine Azad Maidan connected Thursday (October 9, 2025) to reason the Maharashtra government’s determination to issue Kunbi caste certificates to members of the Maratha community. The protest, which began since 8 a.m., was called disconnected by evening aft Maharashtra’s Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, met the demonstrators and assured them that their demands would beryllium conveyed to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde wrong 8 days.
The protestation was organised by the Kunbi Samajonnatti Sangh and Vividh Kunbi Samajik Sangathana Aaojit, successful effect to a Government Resolution (GR) issued connected September 2, which announced the enactment of a peculiar committee to facilitate the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible members of the Maratha community, based connected entries successful the Hyderabad Gazetteer.
Speaking to The Hindu, Anil D. Navgane, president of Kunbi Samajonnatti Sangh, said that Mr. Lodha explained the lack of elder Ministers and the Chief Minister owed to the sojourn of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He assured the protestors that a gathering would beryllium held soon and their grievances would beryllium addressed. Protest leaders warned that if their demands are not met, they volition escalate the agitation and bring the State to a standstill.
Protesters arrived from 7 districts including Ratnagiri, Palghar, Thane, Sindhudurg, and Mumbai, boarding buses and trains, leaving their jobs and household behind. The protesters were wearing achromatic caps that work ‘We are Kunbi’. Many are small-scale farmers and regular wage workers. There were women excessively who took portion successful the protest.
Madhav Kamble, associated caput of Kunbi Samajonnatti Sangh and a husbandman from Dodavali colony successful Guhagar taluka, said that portion the protestation was peaceful and democratic, nary authorities typical came to conscionable them until the evening. “When Marathas protested, ministers and collectors rushed to conscionable them adjacent during the night. This is caste-based discrimination,” helium said.
The protestors expressed interest that the Maratha community, which already benefits from EWS (Economically Weaker Section) and SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backward Classes) quotas, is present seeking introduction into the OBC class done Kunbi caste certificates. They alleged that 58 lakh Kunbi registrations are being utilized to facilitate this inclusion, which they accidental undermines the law rights of the OBCs.
Pratiksha Niwate, a 29-year-old pharmacist from Nalasopara successful Palghar district, said she took permission from enactment to articulation the protest. “We don’t reason Maratha reservation. But they should not beryllium mixed with Kunbi and OBC categories. This is our law right. If I don’t combat today, my children volition inquire wherefore I didn’t basal up for their future,” she said.
The protestors cited the Supreme Court’s May 2021 verdict, which struck down the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act that had granted preservation to the Maratha community. The Court reaffirmed the 50% headdress connected reservations and held that Marathas could not beryllium classified arsenic OBCs, distinguishing them from communities similar Kunbis who are constitutionally recognized arsenic OBCs.
They besides raised concerns astir disparities successful payment funding. Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has publically stated that portion ₹25,000 crore has been spent connected Maratha payment successful caller years, lone ₹2,500 crore was allocated to OBCs implicit the past 25 years. He besides pointed retired that ₹2,933 crore successful pending OBC payment funds had remained unutilized until recently.
In February, OBC outfits had demanded the withdrawal of the GR during a gathering chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, informing that it undermines law protections for backward classes. On October 7, the Bombay High Court declined to assistance interim alleviation to petitioners challenging the GR, allowing the authorities to proceed issuing Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas portion the substance remains nether judicial review.
While the protestation concluded peacefully, the organisers made it wide that this was lone the beginning. If the authorities fails to enactment connected their demands, they program to mobilise a larger question crossed Maharashtra.
