Reportedly over a year after the maratha agitators took to the streets of various cities in Maharashtra to press for a host of demands, the Maharashtra government has only partially succeeded in placating them. Meanwhile the devendra fadnavis led government has sought to garner political capital from its move to extend reservation to Marathas, lack of progress on other demands continues to rile members of the community.
Furthermore the chief demand of the protesters reservation in jobs and educational institutions has, to an extent, been met, while the Bombay High Court upheld the quota under the category of Socially and Educationally Backward Class, it directed that the quantum of the quota should be 12 to 13%, rather than 16% which the state government sought to implement.
Moreover among other demands the prominent ones are amendments to the SC/STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to curb its alleged misuse, construction of a shivaji statue in the Arabian Sea and hostels for maratha students. Perhaps the state government may have found itself in a bind on the first two issues tinkering with the Atrocities Act could spark off anger among Dalit and tribal communities, while the work on the shivaji statue has been halted due to a Supreme Court order. Apparently maratha leaders have raised the issue of lack of infrastructure in hostels and have alleged political neglect in this respect.
