Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange on Saturday launched his ninth indefinite hunger strike in Maharashtra’s Jalna district, intensifying pressure on the state government to address long-pending demands related to the Maratha quota issue.
The protest began at Antarwali Sarati village, around 400 kilometres from Mumbai, where Jarange commenced his fast in the open under the scorching summer sun without any canopy or protective shelter.
As the agitation gathered momentum, Maharashtra’s Maratha Reservation Cabinet Sub-Committee Chairman and Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil rushed to the protest site to hold discussions with Jarange and persuade him to withdraw the fast.
Jarange has repeatedly accused the government of delaying action on the community’s demands and warned that Marathas should not be subjected to an “agni pariksha” (trial by fire). He has vowed to continue the protest until concrete steps are taken by the state administration.
The activist renewed his key demand for the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible members of the Maratha community, which would enable them to avail benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota.
He has also sought implementation of the Hyderabad and Satara Gazette records, withdrawal of cases registered against Maratha quota protesters during previous agitations, and the creation of a dedicated ministry for the Maratha community on the lines of the existing ministry for OBCs.
Soon after the fast commenced, Vikhe Patil appealed to Jarange to move under a shed and assured him that the government was making sincere efforts to resolve the reservation issue through dialogue.
Jarange’s latest agitation comes amid continuing political and social debate over Maratha reservation and the demand for inclusion within the OBC category, an issue that has remained at the centre of Maharashtra politics for several years.
