Despite his declining health, pro-Maratha quota campaigner Manoj Jarange Patil escalated his protest by urging community members to initiate a fast unto death across all villages in Maharashtra, starting from Sunday.
The Maratha activist fervently appealed to the State government, stressing the gravity of their agitation and the urgent need for reservations in education and government jobs.
Mr. Jarange Patil, whose indefinite hunger strike in Jalna’s Antarwali Sarati village entered its fourth day, urged members of the Maratha community not to resort to extreme steps for the sake of reservation.
“We are going to win… so, the youth do not have to end their lives,” Mr. Jarange Patil said, advising the community to keep political leaders at bay and abstain from engaging with them during the protest.
Urging the community’s youth not to resort to drastic measures, he encouraged them to stand firm in the movement, assuring them of its success. Mr. Jarange Patil warned against any suicide attempts, and called upon the community to safeguard and dissuade the youth from taking such actions.
The 40-year-old new poster boy of Maratha agitation declined any treatment and even refused to be examined by doctors after top officials from Jalna district met him to enquire about his health. As he defied medical treatment, Mr. Jarange Patil said he wanted to prioritise the cause of Maratha reservation over his health concerns. “The problems being faced by our children are far more significant than my physical suffering,” he said.
“A series of hunger strikes will begin in every village across the State from October 29 if the government fails to grant the reservation immediately. It should not underestimate the determination of agitating Marathas,” Mr. Jarange Patil said.
He said villagers should sit together in one place for the fast unto death and start only after having water.
He placed the responsibility for any consequences on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and the State government if harm befalls those engaging in the protest. “Through this protest, we want to see whether this can create an impact on the government,” Mr. Jarange Patil said.
Accusing the Eknath Shinde-led government of “not being serious” on the reservation issue and “misleading” people, Mr. Jarange Patil began his second phase of hunger strike on October 25, a day after an ‘ultimatum’ given by him to the State government to announce reservation for Marathas under OBC category ended.
A 14-day-long fast was observed by him in the same village from August 29 to September 14 before withdrawing it after getting assurances from Mr. Shinde.
The third phase of the agitation will begin on October 31, and details will be disclosed on October 30, the pro-quota activist said.
While Mr. Shinde and Mr. Fadnavis had earlier stated that the State government was committed to granting reservations to the Marathas that would stand legal scrutiny, without diluting quotas of other communities, the activist accused the government of dragging its feet on the quota commitment.
Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party MLA Rohit Pawar suspended his Yuva Sangharsh Yatra in support of Mr. Jarange Patil. He said he did not wish to disturb peace in the State already facing unrest.
