Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Saturday began an indefinite hunger strike in Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district under harsh weather conditions, despite ongoing talks with the Maharashtra government over his demands and a written assurance that they would consider his demands late on Friday night.
Water resources minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil reached Antarwali Sarati to persuade Jarange-Patil to call off the protest. However, the first round of talks failed to produce a breakthrough, with the government seeking more time for implementing key demands. Jarange-Patil chose to sit in an open field under the scorching sun with food and water despite insistence from the minister to continue his agitation at a sheltered place.
The Maratha activist is unhappy with the government over delays in the assurances and promises made during a hunger strike held at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan last year.
Among his key demands are the implementation of the Hyderabad Gazetteer (1909) and Satara Gazetteer to facilitate the issuance of Kunbi certificates to Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, the creation of a dedicated ministry for the Maratha community on the lines of the OBC welfare department, and issuing caste validity certificates as Kunbi for the Maratha community, among others.
“The state government must issue a government resolution (GR) for implementing the Satara Gazette and grant caste certificates and validity certificates to eligible applicants from the Maratha community. If these are not granted, action should be taken against the concerned officials,” demanded Jarange-Patil.
It was the second meeting between the Maratha activist and the minister since Friday, as the state government intensified efforts to persuade Jarange-Patil to withdraw his agitation. On Saturday, Vikhe-Patil, who also heads the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation, handed over to Jarange-Patil a draft of the action the government has initiated on his charter of demands.
Vikhe-Patil, on the other hand, sat with him under the scorching sun and tried to persuade him to take a sheltered place for his protest for the time being. He said, “The government is making all the efforts to fulfill all the demands made by Jarange-Patil.” Vikhe-Patil also sought time for the formation of a dedicated ministry in the state government for the Maratha community.
He, however, expressed reservations on a GR for implementing the Satara Gazetteer, saying it could lead to legal challenges. “Legal experts have asked the government to proceed with caution, as the GR issued for the Hyderabad Gazetteer’s implementation has already been challenged in court,” Vikhe-Patil said at Antarwali Sarati.
