Activist Manoj Jarange on Monday announced plans for a fresh indefinite hunger strike to demand reservation for the Maratha community in jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Speaking to the media, 42-year-old Jarange said he would reveal the date for his hunger strike on Tuesday. He also invited members of the Maratha community to join his protest. The announcement coincides with the BJP-led Mahayuti government's efforts to stabilise following its cabinet expansion on December 15.
He emphasised the fast would be open to all Maratha community members, but clarified there was no compulsion in participating in the hunger strike, part of a wider state-wide quota agitation spearheaded by him. "Anyone from the community who is willing to join the fast is welcome. There is no pressure on anyone," Jarange stated. The activist argued the BJP-led government must show its intent to resolve the quota issue by taking concrete steps during the winter session of the state legislature which is being held in Nagpur.
What are Jarange's demands?
He asked the government to implement the draft notification of Sage soyare (closed relatives), the Hyderabad, the Bombay and the Satara Gazetteers declaring Maratha as kunbi. Jarange has been demanding implementation of a draft notification that recognises Kunbis as ‘sage soyare’ (those related by birth or marriage) of Marathas and granting reservation in jobs and education to the latter under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The agrarian Kunbi community already gets quota benefits under the OBC category.
Jarange has also demanded speeding up the work of the Justice (retd) Sandeep Shinde Committee set up by the Maharashtra government to expedite the process of granting Kunbi certificates to members of the Maratha community, making them eligible for quota. In February this year, the state legislature unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separate category. However, Jarange has been insisting on quota to the community under the OBC head.
(With PTI inputs)
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