Maratha quota: Activist Manoj Jarange Patil claims state govt sidestepping core issue

Manoj Jarange addresses supporters on Friday/ Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Monday accused the state government of diverting the core issue of reservation and also claimed it was considering a separate quota for the community. Jarange Patil resumed his indefinite fast and is continuing his protest at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Maharashtra's Jalna district for the third day on February 12 over his demand that a special session of Maharashtra legislative be convened to convert draft notification on 'blood relatives' of Kunbi Marathas into law, reported PTI.

Per the PTI report, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in December 2023 had announced that a special session of state legislature would be held in February, if necessary, to grant reservations to the Maratha community. The announcement was made after reviewing a report of the Backward Class Commission.

In Photos: CM Eknath Shinde meets Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, hunger strike ends in Navi Mumbai

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Notably, Chhagan Bhujbal, a minister from Maharashtra, has criticised Marathas' "backdoor entry" into the OBC quota.

On Monday, Jarange Patil reiterated his demand for the draft notification's immediate implementation which stated that blood relatives or 'sage soyre' of a Maratha person with Kunbi records would also be recognised as Kunbi, an agrarian community that receives OBC quota.

Reportedly, responding to queries regarding the Maharashtra government's plan to call a special session to provide Maratha quota, the activist charged that the administration was sidestepping the crucial matter.

Jarange added that he is not against a separate quota for the community but said that the special session should focus on converting the draft notification on 'blood relatives' of Kunbi Marathas into legislation.

Meanwhile, the activist, aged 40, refuses medical attention despite concerns over his health. He has been abstaining from food and water since Saturday.

PTI report quoted an associate of Jarange claiming that the 40-year-old activist's health has weakened since he abstained from food and medication.

He is on a hunger strike for the fourth time in less than a year for the inclusion of the Kunbi Maratha community in the OBC (other backward caste) classification.

"The government should convene a special session of the state legislature in two days and bring legislation concerning 'sage soyare' (blood relatives). The government must issue (OBC) caste certificates to 57 lakh people who possess Kunbi records," Jarange, according to PTI had said on Saturday.