Sadawarte at Nashik protest: I will not let sub-classification of Scheduled Castes happen
Lawyer Gunratna Sadawarte opposed sub-classification in SC reservation at a Nashik protest, as the issue heats up across Maharashtra.
The issue of sub-classification in reservation for Scheduled Castes has heated up in Maharashtra. Marches and agitations are under way in many places. At a protest against sub-classification in Nashik, well-known lawyer Gunratna Sadawarte took part and sharply opposed the move in his speech.
Sadawarte said, "I speak without fear. Politics of classification is going on, but I will not let classification happen. I am an Ambedkarite lawyer. I do what I say."
Citing the Supreme Court's ruling, Sadawarte questioned the process of sub-classification. According to him, the relevant backward class report and the required procedure are crucial for any classification.
Sadawarte claimed, "If you classify today, I will get it cancelled tomorrow at three in the afternoon." The claim of getting the decision cancelled within 48 hours is also his. In 2024, the Supreme Court upheld sub-classification of Scheduled Castes as constitutionally valid and allowed states to adopt an evidence-based process.
Sadawarte also spoke about the Matang community. He claimed, "If the triple test is carried out, the Matang community will go out of the Scheduled Castes."
Sadawarte also targeted Eknath Shinde. He said, "Even if five people like Eknath Shinde come, classification will not happen." He also said the government should leave politics aside and attend to the demands of the Matang community. To give the community economic and industrial opportunities, he also demanded that its members be allotted plots in the MIDC.
Discussions show that the issue of sub-classification is not merely a clash between two communities. It concerns how the benefits of reservation within the Scheduled Castes are shared. The Matang community's demand for a separate sub-category within Scheduled Caste reservation is gaining strength.
For now, two differing views are visible in the state. Matang community organisations are demanding sub-classification, while organisations opposing it are raising the issue of Scheduled Caste unity. The issue is therefore likely to stay in the news.
