In what comes as a major relief to the Eknath Shinde-led BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP dispensation in Maharashtra, Jalna-based activist Manoj Jarange-Patil broke his 17-day-long hunger strike after the Chief Minister met him at the protest site and assured that the government is committed to provide reservation to the Maratha community.
Shinde offered Jarange-Patil, the founder of Shivba Sanghatana, a glass of juice, after which he broke the fast.
#WATCH| Jalna, Maharashtra: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil withdraws his hunger strike as Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde offers him juice pic.twitter.com/hXuJgdK0Xa
— ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2023
However, Jarange-Patil, aged around 40, would continue with the agitation demanding reservation to the Maratha community.
“We have decided to give a month to the government. However, I won't leave the place for 30 days,” said Jarange-Patil, who started the fast-unto-death on August 29 at Antarwali Sarathi village on Dhule-Solapur road in Jalna.
"I am ready to give even 10 more days, but we want a quota that will last in the court," Jarange-Patil added.
“The fight is not for any personal demand and that is why it received so much support from the community. In the past, the government provided reservation, but it could not survive in the Supreme Court," Shinde said.
Over the past two weeks, all the top politicians of the state had met Jarange-Patil and asked him to withdraw the fast.
Members of the Maratha royal families - Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale of Satara and Yuvraj Sambhaji Chhatrapati of Kolhapur, the two 13th descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj - too had met him after a lathi-charge at the protest site.
“I won't rest till we give reservation to the Maratha community,” said Shinde after a 15-minute discussion with Jarange-Patil and his team.
"I have known Manoj for many years. He has always been fighting for the community. Whenever we met, he never spoke of any personal demands. He is committed to the community…he is an honest worker,” he said.
Jarange-Patil, however, made it clear that if the state government fails to give the reservations to the Maratha community in a month, he will again resume his hunger strike.
It may be mentioned, the Shinde government has set up a five-member panel, headed by Judge Sandeep Shinde (Retd), to determine the Standard Operating Procedures, including legal and administrative framework, for giving Kunbi caste certificates to Maratha community members on the basis of Nizam-era documents.
This will allow Marathas from the Marathwada region to avail quota benefits under the OBC category. However, the latter has objected to it as it would reduce the impact on the existing quota.