Jalna, Oct 30 (IANS): On the sixth day of his indefinite hunger, Shivba Sanghatana President Manoj Jarange-Patil suddenly collapsed due to weakness on the stage but was helped by his aides, even as thousands of alarmed villagers rushed there, here on Monday afternoon
The unnerving development took place when he got up to reply to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's statements in Mumbai, as the Marathas became more aggressive in different parts of the state for quotas, here on Monday.
As he tried to get up Jarange-Patil appeared to feel dizzy and virtually crumpled on the spot but a couple of aides caught him and prevented him from falling.
Hundreds of anxious people from his native Ambad village and surroundings who had rushed let out collective shouts, asking him to drink some water, but Jarange-Patil refused.
"If you force me to drink water, then how shall we get reservations? We have to ensure the future of our children, it's not important what happens to me," he retorted.
However, after repeated pleas by the villagers, many in tears, and a teenage girl making a fervent appeal to "Jarange Mama" to drink some water, the Maratha leader conceded and promised to honour their wish later.
Lying on the stage propped by two large pillows, Jarante-Patil slammed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, asking: "When you did not discuss the issue with the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) in Shirdi, how can we trust you?" to the CM's plea to exercise restraint as the pro-quotas agitation was drifting in a different direction with violence, Jarange-Patil shot back saying that the stir is peaceful and "first you should rein in your people".
He also hit out at Shinde's statement that the state government was exploring the legal window in the Supreme Court, saying: "We are not concerned with the curative petition… We want automatic reservations".
Jarange-Patil reiterated that all the people whose ‘Kunbi Caste’ certificates have been found and also those whose entries are not yet detected should be given the ‘Kunbi Caste’ certificates and pave the way for quotas immediately.
He demanded that the government accept the (preliminary) report of the retired Justice Sandeep Shinde Committee submitted today, halt the work of the panel, issue the ‘Kunbi Caste’ certificates and give reservations to the Marathas.
"We are not going back at any cost… We don't want any half-hearted reservations. From November 1, the third and the most difficult part of the agitation will be launched," warned Jarange-Patil, adding he will not take medicines or undergo a medical checkup.
After the interaction with the villagers – interspersed with bouts of cheers and claps – he attempted to drink some water, but said it was "painful" in his parched throat.
Later, he made another effort and managed to slowly sip about a glass of water, as the villagers broke out in a thunderous applause, signalling a pause in the tough hunger strike he has launched for the second time since August 29.
Soon after he received Jalna Collector Dr Shrikrishnanath Panchal and Superintendent of Police Shailesh Balkawade for discussions.
Since dawn, a visibly feeble Jarange-Patil, who is off water or medication, was seen lying with his anxious supporters hovering around him on a stage in his village Antaravali-Sarati.
Unable to sit for long with a microphone in his hand, he lay down while attempting to speak with the media, his hands were seen trembling, dark circles were clouding around his eyes and weakness written all over him.
The home of a breakaway Nationalist Congress Party (AP) MLA from Beed, Prakash Solanke, was set afire, and a portion of the Zilla Parishad office was torched, while Shirdi town in Ahmednagar also observed a shutdown in support of the Maratha quotas.
At least nine bus depots in Nanded were shut on Monday, at least six government buses were pelted with stones in Dharashiv (formerly, Osmanabad district), and another four buses in Jalna, and the vehicles of two tehsildar in Beed were attacked with one badly damaged and another set afire in the past 24 hours.
Embarrassing the government, some unidentified persons allegedly smeared black-paint on posters heralding the 'Government to the Doorstep' event scheduled in Yavatmal which Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was scheduled to inaugurate.
His son and MP Dr Shrikant Shinde cancelled his proposed visit to Nashik as Marathas have barred leaders of all political parties from entering their villages or towns.
Several leaders of the ruling Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party, National Congress Party (AP), the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) have tasted the ire of the ban imposed by an estimated over 4,000 villages in different districts across the state.
Late on Sunday, Jarange-Patil warned that in case his "heart stops beating", then even the "state government will stop breathing".
A high-level delegation of MVA leaders met Governor Ramesh Bais demanding immediate Maratha quotas and submitted a memorandum to the effect this afternoon.