Mumbai: Maratha reservation campaigner Manoj Jarange Patil on Saturday kickstarted yet another hunger strike and launched a fresh round of agitation demanding implementation of the draft 'sage-soyare' notification that recognises Kunbis as blood relatives of the Maratha community members.
This is the sixth fast-unto-death that he is undertaking in a year’s time.
The agitation comes ahead of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, which is expected around October 2024.
Jarange-Patil is holding a sit-in at the Antarwali Sarati village in the Jalna district of Maharashtra.
"I had to launch this fast as the government did not keep its word. I will continue the strike till my death as I have no other option,” said Jarange-Patil.
Jarange-Patil demanded the implementation of the formal notification of the ‘sage-soyare’, a Marathi term for ‘relatives from the family tree', which widens the scope of the quota.
On 29 July, he would also hold a meeting with his supporters to take a final call about contesting the Vidhan Sabha polls.
He will also undertake a peace march through western Maharashtra between 7-13 August.
Maratha Reservation: The agitation so far
Manoj Jarange-Patil had undertaken the first hunger strike from 29 August-14 September, 2023 which he broke after Shinde assured the demands of issuance of Maratha-Kunbi and Kunbi-Maratha caste certificates to Marathas in Marathwada region and looked at options to give blanket reservation to the community.
From 14-24 October, 2023, Manoj Jarange-Patil undertook a tour of parts of the state.
On 25 October, 2023, Manoj Jarange-Patil again undertook the hunger strike which ended on 2 November after nine days after a government delegation met him and convinced on the work being done. The government expands scope to Kunbi certificates from Marathwada to the entire Maharashtra.
From 15-23 November, 2023, Manoj Jarange-Patil undertook another tour of parts of the state.
On 20 January, 2024 Manoj Jarange-Patil marches out of his village Antarwali Sarathi in Jalna and reach Navi Mumbai on 25 January
On 26 January, 2024, coinciding with 75th Republic Day, Manoj Jarange-Patil commences another fast-unto-death agitation
On 27 January, 2024, he withdrew the fast after Eknath Shinde comes out with a draft notification “Maharashtra Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, De-notified Tribes (Vimukta Jatis), Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category (Regulation of Issuance and Verification of) Caste Certificate Act, 2000” defined “sage-soyare” (blood relations), which includes relatives of the applicant’s father, grandfather, great grandfather and in earlier generations forming out of marriages within the same castes and will include relations forming out of marriages within the same caste.
On 10 February, 2024, the Maratha reservation activist launches another round of hunger strike.
On 26 February, 2024, the Maratha quota activist called off his 17-day-long hunger strike
On 8 June, 2024, Patil launched another hunger strike - the fifth such agitation.
On 13 June, 2024, he suspends his agitation following assurances from the government. However, he said Patil had said that if the Maratha reservation is not provided this time, he will contest the Vidhan elections that are expected to take place in October later this year.
On 20 July, 2024, he launches another hunger strike - the sixth in the series of fast-unto-death undertaken by him.