On Indefinite Fast, Manoj Jarange Sets Sept 12 Deadline for Govt to meet Maratha Quota Demands
New Delhi: Activist Manoj Jarange, who began an indefinite hunger strike on Saturday (August 29) to secure Kunbi caste certificates for all Marathas, said he would march to Mumbai if the Maharashtra government fails to address his demands by September 12. The ongoing strike is his 11th indefinite hunger strike at the Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district of Maharashtra. Thousands of community members have reportedly gathered to support his agitation.
Jarange, who entered the third day of his indefinite fast on Monday (August 31), has been demanding the recognition of all eligible Marathas as Kunbis, an agrarian community entitled to reservation benefits in education and government jobs under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category. He has also called for the withdrawal of all police cases registered against quota protesters across the state, employment opportunities and financial compensation for families of protesters who died during past agitations and the issuance of reservation based on the Satara Gazette.
Furthermore, Jarange has demanded the creation of a dedicated state portfolio for the Maratha and Kunbi communities, along with timely staff appointments, disbursal of interests on loans extended through the Annasaheb Patil Arthik Vikas Mahamandal, release of all SARTHI student scholarships and immediate letters of onboarding for candidates selected under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) and Economically Backward Classes (EBC) quotas.
According to PTI, the activist told reporters that if the state government failed to accept the demands, he would march to the state's capital to intensify his campaign. Additionally, a meeting of the Maratha community's core committee, headed by him, would be organised in Antarwali Sarati on September 12 with the aim of deciding on staging an indefinite hunger strike in Mumbai.
"If the government accepts our demands by September 12, there will be no need to hold the proposed fast in Mumbai," he said. He has also demanded the suspension of caste certificate verification, saying that cases covered in historical records would satisfy that criterion.
Government open to 'legally valid' demands
On Sunday (August 30), Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the government was willing to discuss "constitutionally valid and legally viable" demands of the Maratha community, cautioning that it would not accept demands that violated Supreme Court orders, reported The Hindu.
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis said government representatives were attending an event in Parbhani to discuss Maratha protesters' demands. “Earlier also we found a way to address their issues, and we are going forward to resolve their demands,” he said.
He added that Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had also been “very sensitive” to the issue from the beginning.
Jarange, however, has remained firm on his demand for Kunbi recognition and has claimed 58 lakh records establishing a genealogical link between Marathas and Kunbis had been found and alleged that the government was attempting to obfusicate this figure.
Maratha protesters wave black flags at Eknath Shinde
On Sunday (August 30), in Parbhani, Maratha protesters waved black flags at Shinde during a Shiv Sena farmer-youth interaction programme.
According to The Hindu, Jarange had earlier asked Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Jadhav to call off the event, describing it as an insult to the Maratha community amid allegations that the government was cancelling already issued Kunbi certificates to Marathas.
“MP Sanjay Jadhav and Eknath Shinde have challenged us; we will take our revenge in Mumbai. We won’t waste our energy now as the boundaries of Parbhani have been sealed,” Jarange said, as quoted by The Hindu.
Protesters were also reportedly detained by the police, although further details have not yet been provided.
Meanwhile, Shinde defended the Mahayuti government's record on the reservation issue. “Mahayuti has worked for people; we formed the Shinde committee to give reservation, we also gave a 10% reservation to the Maratha community, and we did this without taking a quota from other communities,” he said.
This article went live on August thirty-first, two thousand twenty six, at fifty-four minutes past two in the afternoon.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
