Subhash Talekar, the chief of Mumbai Dabbawala association, has reiterated his demand for the government to officially declare Marathas and Kunbis as one caste.

Citing his own family records from Gadad village in Khed taluka, Pune, Talekar said, “My grandfather was recorded as Maratha, while his younger brother and cousin were documented as Kunbi. This shows that even within one family, some are listed as Maratha and some as Kunbi. From this, it is clear that Marathas and Kunbis are the same.”

Talekar urged the state to issue Kunbi certificates to all Marathas, which would automatically include them in the OBC category and make them eligible for reservation benefits. He pointed out that the Nizam’s Gazette identified Marathas as Kunbis, while the Shinde Committee traced 59 lakh Kunbi records. “Both these pieces of evidence predate independence. Even the 1931 caste census counted Marathas under Kunbis. Hence, granting Marathas OBC reservation while staying within the 50 per cent cap should not be an issue,” he said.