How Brahmins and Marathas from Tuljapur get OBC certificate based on Nizam records
The Tuljapur model of Maratha reservation has been at the centre of discussion in the ongoing quota debate for the community that has been staging protests
Amid clamour over quota in Maharashtra, the documents from local administration reveal some Maratha and Brahmin families from Tuljapur area of Marathwada region have been getting Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates since the last three decades based on documents available in Nizam records. The Tuljapur model of Maratha reservation has been at the centre of discussion in the ongoing quota debate for the community that has been staging protests.
Since 1984-85, Maratha surnames like Kadam, Salunkhe, Bhosale, Ingale, Shinde and Brahmin surnames like Bhattu, Pathak, Shyamraj, Kambale, Dadebhatt, Prayag, Kavthale, Kulkarni, Dhole were included in central government’s OBC list as a “Bhopa” or “Bhope”. These are together 284 families enjoying the benefits of reservation.
“Bhopa” or “Bhope” were priests at the Tulja Bhavani Temple of Tuljapur in Osmanabad district. Marathwada region was part of the erstwhile Hyderabad state under the Nizam rule before it became part of Maharashtra in 1960.
The Nizam rule recognised the rights of Marathas and Brahmins from Tuljapur in the service of Tulja Bhavani Devi temple through the “Mir Majlis Sadar Committee Tuljapur Deoul”. A decision regarding the same was taken by Osmanabad court in 1919, official documents suggest.
Sachin Ombase, district collector, Dharashiv district said, “The government has issued certificates for these “Bhopa” or “Bhope” families considering the historical reference in Nizam era and hence they are getting benefits under the OBC category.”
The official said that according to historical references, it was found that Nizam recommended “Bhopa” or “Bhope”, and it carried forward till date.
According to Ombase, against the backdrop of the ongoing Maratha reservation issue, the Tuljapur case seems to be a torch bearer. “We don’t know what the government concluded in this issue, but the Tuljapur case is a reference for others. If Marathas find such historical references to prove their backwardness like “Bhopa” or “Bhope” then it will be easier for them.”
In the Aniket Shamraj v/s state government of Maharashtra case in 2003, the Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court upheld the rights of the “Bhopa” or “Bhope” community in Tuljapur, including both Marathas and Brahmins, with 284 surnames, as recognised by the Nizam’s government in 1919. The order allowed Marathas and Brahmins from Tuljapur to get benefits of education, government job and political reservations.
Kishor Gangane, chairman of the Pujari (priests) Mandal in Tuljapur, said, “Though we were under unreserved category, we started getting “Bhopa” or “Bhope” certificates from 1984-85 after inclusion in Central OBC list.”
According to Gangane, taking advantage of the reservation, many members cracked government service examinations, and Kakasaheb Shinde and Suresh Patil were elected as Tuljapur municipal council mayor.
Gangane said that “Bhope” are head priests involving in daily pooja of the Tulja Bhavani diety. Except during “Tulja Bhavani Devi Utsav” season, all “Bhopes” used to visit different places of Maharashtra to distribute “Prasad”. As almost eight months in a year, “Bhope” used travel, hence the Nizam government recommended them as a nomadic tribes.
Manoj Jarange-Patil, a Maratha leader from Jalna district, has been sitting on a hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati village demanding reservations for the Maratha community in education and government jobs. After several rounds of negotiation between Patil and the state government on Wednesday, the state cabinet decided that Kunbi caste certificates would be issued to Marathas from the region who possess revenue or education documents from the Nizam era that recognise them as Kunbis.
