The Maratha reservation issue continued to vex Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s government as quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Wednesday hardened his stance by launching another indefinite hunger strike despite the State government’s efforts to dissuade him.
Accusing the government of “not being serious” on the reservation issue and “misleading” people, Mr. Jarange-Patil began his hunger fast at the Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district in the State’s Marathwada region.
He had undertaken an indefinite hunger strike on August 29 this year but had called it off after 17 days when Mr. Shinde personally called on him and persuaded him to withdraw it.
The activist had given a 40-day deadline (which ended on October 24) to the government to fulfil all demands pertaining to Maratha reservation, chief among them being the granting of Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates to Marathas, thus enabling the community to enjoy the reservation benefits granted to the OBCs.
“We have given the government 40 days to fulfil our demands. We will not step back now. The future of our children is being ruined,” Mr. Jarange-Patil said.
He further said the State government had not yet withdrawn cases lodged against Maratha quota agitators as had been promised.
Before he commenced on his fast, State Rural Development Minister and senior BJP leader Girish Mahajan spoke with Mr. Jarange-Patil over phone, assuring the activist that the government was leaving no stone unturned to give the Maratha community reservation that would withstand the scrutiny of the Supreme Court.
Mr. Mahjan fervently urged the activist to not go on a strike again, but Mr. Jarange-Patil refused to budge.
“If we did not respect this government, would we have given it 40 days to fulfil our demands? It is you [the government] who sought this time. We respected the CM’s word when he said he was sincere in giving reservation. Thus far, nothing has happened,” the activist said in response to Mr. Mahajan’s plea.
At the same time, Mr. Jarange-Patil said that while it seemed Mr. Shinde was indeed committed to ensuring reservation for the Marathas, some forces within the government were trying to thwart his efforts.
On Tuesday, addressing his Shiv Sena faction’s Dussehra rally in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, Mr. Shinde had reiterated his government’s commitment to provide the Maratha community with a fool-proof quota, and in a dramatic gesture, had sworn an oath on the bust of Chhatrapati Shivaji as proof of his sincerity.
Kolhapur royal and former Rajya Sabha MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, a direct descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji, met with Mr. Jarange-Patil to show solidarity with the activist’s agitation.
“I am extremely worried about Manoj’s health. This is not the first time he has been on an indefinite hunger strike. He is a selfless man who has been working tirelessly for the interests of the Maratha community,” Mr. Sambhajiraje, an influential Maratha community leader who had himself gone on a hunger strike over the quota issue in 2022, said.
Marathas in several villages across a number of districts in Maharashtra, including Solapur, Hingoli, Beed, and Jalna went on “chain hunger strikes” to lend their support to Mr. Jarange-Patil.
Many villages put up banners prohibiting the entry of political leaders until the quota issue was resolved.
