Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Thursday ended his hunger strike, giving the Maharashtra government a fresh deadline of January 2, 2024, for the quota. The development comes as a big relief for the NDA government in the state as the quota reservation stir turned violent in several parts of Maharashtra.
Jarange after ending his hunger strike said he had a discussion with the government and it was ready to give the reservation to all Marathas.
"The committee formed by the government should take some more time but work on ensuring that all Marathas get reservation. The government has admitted that their committee will work across the state and submit a report. The government is ready to give certificates to the Kunbi Marathas of Marathwada but we want that the Marathas of the entire state should get reservation. That's why I have decided that the government should give some more time," he added.
His announcement at the fast site in his village in Jalna district came after four state ministers met him and requested him to call off the indefinite hunger strike. A delegation of retired high court judges Sandeep Shinde, M G Gaikwad and some officials also met Jarange, who reiterated his demand for reservation for Marathas across Maharashtra. He demanded “fool proof reservation” and asked the state government to give him its assurance. Jarange demanded during talks with a government delegation that reservation should be provided to Marathas throughout Maharashtra.
Government delegation gets success to convince Jarange
A delegation of retired high court judges Sandeep Shinde, M G Gaikwad and others including officials met Jarange who is on an indefinite hunger strike at his village Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district since October 25 for the Maratha quota demand. MLA Bachchu Kadu, who supports the ruling alliance, was also present.
Jarange had said on Wednesday evening that he would not be drinking even water from now on even though an all-party meeting passed a resolution earlier in the day supporting the demand of quota and appealing him to call off his fast.
During the discussion on Thursday, which took place in front of the media, Jarange demanded that the government should provide enough funds and deploy multiple teams for the survey of the economic and social backwardness of the Maratha community.
A government order granting Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas should be passed and the word `throughout' (Maharashtra) should be included, he demanded.
The government has already started the process of giving Kunbi certificates to Marathas from the Marathwada region who can produce old records referring to them or their ancestors as Kunbi. Kunbi, an agrarian community, gets reservation in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
