Jarange, however, said legal experts from his team will first study the government proposal minutely before taking a decision on ending the agitation.
Also read: Govt would be responsible if I suffer health issues during fast under blazing sun: Manoj Jarange
The activist began the fast in Antarwali Sarati village, about 400 km from Mumbai, in the open without any canopy or protective shelter despite the intense heat.
As the protest commenced, state minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads the Maratha Reservation Cabinet Sub-Committee, rushed to the spot to hold talks and persuade Jarange to call off the stir, saying the state government was committed to resolving the issue positively.
Jarange has renewed his demand for the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to members of the Maratha community to avail the OBC quota, implementation of the Hyderabad and Satara Gazette records, and withdrawal of cases registered against Maratha protesters who participated in the reservation agitation.
He has also sought the creation of a ministry for the Maratha community on the lines of the one for the Other Backward Classes (OBC). He has repeatedly stated that the government should not subject the Maratha community to an “agni pariksha” (trial by fire) and has vowed to continue the agitation until concrete action is taken on the demands.As the protest commenced, Vikhe Patil rushed to the scene and requested Jarange to sit in the shade, assuring him that the government was making efforts to resolve the issue.
The minister later handed over the government’s 12-point draft proposal to Jarange, and appealed to him to call off the hunger strike.
“The government is completely positive about the demands of the Maratha community. Therefore, I request Manoj Jarange to give up his insistence on continuing the fast. If he wishes to continue the agitation, he should at least sit in the shade instead of sitting under the scorching sun, and should not endanger his health,” Vikhe Patil said.
Speaking to reporters after handing over the draft, the minister acknowledged administrative shortcomings in addressing the community’s concerns.
“The government has been continuously working on the demands raised by the Maratha community. We do not deny that there have been shortcomings and difficulties. In particular, delays and obstacles at the regional and local administrative levels have generated strong resentment among Marathas. However, the government does not view this issue as a matter of prestige and is sincerely committed to resolving it positively,” he said.
Addressing the contentious issue of the Satara Gazette, Vikhe Patil explained the legal complexities involved.
“Some demands can be addressed immediately through administrative orders at the departmental level. However, if every demand is accepted without considering the legal framework and later fails to withstand judicial scrutiny, it would amount to misleading the community. Therefore, all decisions must be taken within the legal framework,” the minister added.
“We request Jarange and his experts to thoroughly study the 12-point draft and suspend the fast until then,” he said.
Responding to the government’s proposal, Jarange said, “Nowadays, it seems as if there is a reservation expert in every alley. Whenever a government resolution (GR) is issued, these experts initially claim it is correct, but a few days later they start pointing out hundreds of flaws, creating confusion within the community.” He added that no immediate decision would be taken on the government’s proposal.
“Our core committee and legal experts will first conduct a detailed study of the government’s 12-point draft. Only after that will we announce our final stand regarding the agitation,” Jarange said.
Also read: Maratha quota issue: Jarange warns of fresh agitation from May 30
Meanwhile, Maratha activists staged a protest on the Dhule-Solapur Road in solidarity with Jarange.Traffic on the route was disrupted for several hours before police intervened and persuaded the protesters to withdraw the blockade. Normal traffic movement was restored later.
Jarange had led a massive protest at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan starting August 29 last year. It was called off on September 2 after a breakthrough was reached with the Maharashtra government on two key demands.
He first gained prominence on August 29, 2023 during his indefinite hunger strike in Antarwali Sarati over the quota issue. A violent police crackdown during an attempt to hospitalise him catapulted him into the spotlight as the face of the Maratha quota agitation.
