Daijiworld Media Network - Jalna
Jalna, May 31: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange ended his indefinite hunger strike shortly after midnight following talks with Maharashtra government representatives, who submitted a 12-point proposal addressing several key demands related to the Maratha quota issue.
Jarange had launched his indefinite fast, the ninth such protest in the last three years, on Saturday morning at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district. He remained seated under the scorching summer sun throughout the day, intensifying pressure on the state government to act on the community's demands.
A government delegation led by Maharashtra minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and BJP MLC Prasad Lad met Jarange and appealed to him to withdraw the agitation after presenting the proposal.
Addressing his supporters after ending the fast, Jarange said the government had agreed to issue caste certificates based on the 58 lakh Kunbi records already identified by authorities. According to him, the records will be displayed at gram panchayat offices across villages, while implementation of the process will be overseen by the divisional commissioner's office.
He further stated that action should be initiated against officials who fail to issue certificates despite the availability of valid records. The government has also been asked to issue formal orders and ensure the instructions are communicated to all concerned authorities.
Jarange said the state government has agreed to review the caste validity certificate process after 15 days. He reiterated his support for the demand to establish a separate ministry for the Maratha and Kunbi communities.
The activist also said the government had assured financial assistance within 15 days to the families of those who lost their lives during the Maratha reservation movement.
During the fast, Jarange's health reportedly deteriorated. Government doctors monitoring him said he experienced multiple bouts of vomiting, a drop in blood pressure and dehydration due to prolonged exposure to extreme heat.
Jalna Civil Surgeon Dr Rajendra Patil said Jarange vomited two to three times and suffered from low blood pressure. He added that a detailed medical examination would be conducted at a hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Jarange had begun the protest in the open without any canopy or protective shelter despite the intense heat conditions prevailing in the region.
As the agitation gathered momentum, Vikhe Patil, who heads the Maratha Reservation Cabinet Sub-Committee, rushed to the protest site and held discussions with Jarange, assuring him that the Maharashtra government remained committed to resolving the issue positively.
The activist had renewed several demands, including the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to Maratha community members to enable them to avail benefits under the OBC quota, implementation of the Hyderabad and Satara Gazette records, and withdrawal of cases registered against Maratha protesters during previous reservation agitations.
He also sought the establishment of a dedicated ministry for the Maratha community on the lines of the existing ministry for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
Jarange had earlier led a massive protest at Mumbai's Azad Maidan beginning August 29 last year. The agitation was withdrawn on September 2 after the Maharashtra government accepted two major demands.
He first emerged as the face of the Maratha reservation movement during an indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati on August 29, 2023. A violent police action during efforts to shift him to hospital brought national attention to the agitation and significantly boosted his prominence as the leader of the Maratha quota movement.