Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Sep 13: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has announced that he and his supporters will march from Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district to Mumbai from September 15, escalating his ongoing agitation for reservation for the Maratha community.
Jarange said he would begin an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Mumbai from September 19 after the march reaches the city. He described the proposed Mumbai agitation as a “final and decisive” battle and said he would not return from Mumbai without securing reservation for the Maratha community.
Speaking at a meeting of the Maratha community at Antarwali Sarati, Jarange asked supporters whether they wanted to continue the agitation at the present location or march to Mumbai. After the gathering backed the Mumbai march, he declared, “Mumbai final.”
The march is scheduled to begin at 11 am on September 15. Jarange said he would continue his fast during the journey and estimated that the protesters could take two to four days to reach Mumbai.
The proposed route includes Patoda in Beed district, Shrigonda in Ahilyanagar district, Hadapsar in Pune district and Khopoli in Raigad district. Khopoli has been identified as the final halt before Mumbai.
Jarange appealed to members of the Maratha community in Patoda, Shrigonda, Pune city, Hadapsar, Khopoli and surrounding areas to prepare for the march. He urged those unable to travel all the way to Mumbai to join the agitation at different points along the route and extend their support.
He appealed to protesters to maintain complete peace throughout the agitation and specifically warned against arson and stone-pelting. He also urged the police and the Home Department not to obstruct the march by putting up barricades.
“If protesters are stopped, they should sit peacefully at the spot and continue the agitation,” Jarange said, stressing that the protest should remain peaceful from Antarwali Sarati to Mumbai as well as during the return journey.
Jarange also made a strong appeal to the community, saying that if any Maratha protester’s blood was shed, Maharashtra should be shut down within 10 minutes. He called for peaceful sit-ins at the taluka level in such a situation.
He said the government still had time to address the community’s demands before the protesters reached Mumbai and urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to announce implementation of the Maratha community’s demands.
Jarange said the government could hold talks with the protesters while they were travelling towards Mumbai or come to Azad Maidan for discussions. The Maharashtra government has in recent days announced several measures relating to education, finance and employment for the Maratha community, while Fadnavis has maintained that further decisions would have to remain within constitutional and legal limits.
Jarange also issued a political warning to the BJP, saying that if Marathas were prevented from reaching Mumbai, it should be understood that their votes had moved away from the party. At the same time, he said he hoped Fadnavis would not stop the protesters.
He urged supporters to arrange dry food and medical camps along the march route. Those unable to travel to Mumbai were asked to spend at least a day along the route to demonstrate solidarity with the agitation.
During his address, Jarange alleged that the government had given the names of people close to him to the Enforcement Directorate in an attempt to weaken the agitation. He said that if his associates were being investigated, an application would also be made to the ED seeking an investigation into people close to Fadnavis.
Jarange became emotional while addressing the gathering and appealed to the Maratha community to stand firmly with the community and its youth rather than political leaders. He also urged voters to defeat leaders who do not attend meetings of the community.
The activist reiterated that the agitation would not be withdrawn without reservation and that the protest in Mumbai would continue peacefully.
Jarange has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati since August 29 over demands related to Maratha reservation, including the issuance of Kunbi certificates to eligible members of the community. The ongoing agitation has put pressure on the Maharashtra government, which has said it is willing to address the community's demands within the constitutional framework.