Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange.
Credit: X/@JarangeManoj
Mounting pressure on the government, Jalna-based activist and Shivba Sanghatana founder Manoj Jarange-Patil who has been demanding reservation for the Marathas, is undertaking a Maharashtra-wide tour as part of a massive outreach during which he would traverse several hundred kms in a fortnight’s time.
Jarange-Patil, who is in his forties, undertook a hunger strike from 29 August, which he ended on September 14 after assurances from Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde that the government is committed to provide reservation to the Marathas.
The government has also agreed that it would issue Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas from the Marathwada region who possess revenue or education documents from the Nizam-era recognising them as Kunbis - a move that would enable them to get OBC reservation.
On the other hand, the government has also assured the Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh that the OBC quota would not be disturbed.
“I am reaching out to people to explain the issue… I will not sit quietly until the Maratha community gets reservation,” said Jaranage-Patil as he commenced his tour from Antarwali Sarathi in Ambad tehsil of Jalna located on the Dhule-Solapur Road.
When asked whether this amounts to creating pressure, he said: “Where is the question of creating pressure… the government has assured (reservation to the Maratha community) and they would do it.”
“I broke the fast after the Shinde saheb assured me that all steps would be taken to ensure that the Maratha community gets reservation. We have given 40 days to the state government to act on its promise. But the government should not kill time unnecessarily,” said Jarange-Patil.