Urdu language experts, more funds needed to study Nizam-era docus on Kunbi status for Marathas: sources

Analysing Nizam-era documents related to the Kunbi community living in the Marathwada region is a huge task as these records need to be scrutinised with the help of Urdu language experts for which additional manpower and funds are needed, sources said Tuesday.Faced with renewed demand for a quota for Marathas, the Maharashtra government has decided to give Kunbi caste certificates to the Marathas whose ancestors were described as Kunbis in old documents.

Analysing Nizam-era documents related to the Kunbi community living in the Marathwada region is a huge task as these records need to be scrutinised with the help of Urdu language experts for which additional manpower and funds are needed, sources said Tuesday.

Faced with renewed demand for a quota for Marathas, the Maharashtra government has decided to give Kunbi caste certificates to the Marathas whose ancestors were described as Kunbis in old documents. It will allow the Marathas from the Marathwada region to avail of quota benefits as the Kunbis fall in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) group.

The Marathwada region of Maharashtra, comprising eight districts, was part of the Nizam-ruled Hyderabad state until 1948.

''The old records are located in different parts of (erstwhile) Nizam state (State of Hyderabad) and they are in Urdu language. These documents need to be scrutinised by Urdu scholars for further study,'' sources told PTI.

A team of serving and retired officials and language experts visited Hyderabad recently.

Recently, Maratha activist Manoj Jarange observed a hunger strike demanding a quota for Marathas under the OBC category. While withdrawing the fast on September 14, he had asked the government to resolve the issue within 40 days.

''Several thousand documents of the erstwhile Nizam State need to be examined. They are in the Urdu language. We may need more Urdu scholars to examine these papers closely. Hiring of private scholars will help but it will need funds. The papers are tattered and they need careful handling. The laws of Census post-1901 will also have to be studied,'' sources pointed out.

These old records are kept in Hyderabad, parts of Marathwada region, Telangana and Karnataka.

''Collecting these documents and studying them will need time, more manpower and funds,'' the sources familiar with the matter said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar said the demand of Jarange won't fit the legal frame and thus (Kunbi) certificates should not be issued.

''A separate category should be formed to give reservation to the Maratha community. There is a need to form a law in Parliament for this. We have no objection to giving the reservation to the Maratha community.

''The government has to prove the backwardness of Marathas before giving them (OBC) certificates otherwise they will have to face the ire of OBCs,'' a release quoted Wadettiwar as saying.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)