India, Sept. 4 -- The Devendra Fadnavis government's deft handling of the latest agitation by Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has defused a flashpoint in Maharashtra politics; but for how long, remains to be seen. The decision to legalise the use of the Hyderabad (1909) and Satara (1884) gazettes to verify Maratha families' Kunbi ancestry, and use this to grant them reservation under the OBC quota has been welcomed by the protestors - but OBC communities upset at this eating into their pie could likely challenge it in court. Maharashtra has 52% reservation for SC, ST, and OBC communities. In addition, like other states, it has a 10% quota for the economically weaker sections (EWS), and in 2024, the Eknath Shinde government granted Marathas 10% reservation under the socially and educationally backward caste (SEBC) category, which has been challenged in court. The demand for reservation for Marathas, numerically and politically the state's dominant community, largely emanates from the agrarian belt of Marathwada that has remained educationally backward and desperately poor. The agitation by Jarange-Patil, a farmer from Marathwada, has struck a powerful chord in the community; quota under the OBC category, in addition to education and jobs, will give them assured political representation. Given the Supreme Court-mandated cap of 50%, Maratha reservation will likely remain an intractable issue for any government. However, what is in the government's hand is an upliftment of Marathwada. Deepening educational and physical infrastructure and creating subsidies for industry to flourish will go a long way in alleviating distress and reducing the dependence on the agrarian economy. Whether that's expedient for political parties, is the question....