Jarange refuses to call off hunger strike; threatens to reach Mumbai if demands not met by Sep 11

JALNA: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange has refused to call off his indefinite hunger strike and warned that he would take his protest to Mumbai if his demands are not fulfilled by September 11.

He also urged members of the community to start applying for Kunbi caste certificates after his talks with a delegation of Maharashtra ministers and legislators yielded no results.

Jarange has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati village in the district for the past week, demanding reservation for the Marathas.

A government delegation of Ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Uday Samant and MLC Prasad Lad and MLA Makarand Patil met Jarange on Thursday.

Vikhe Patil, who appealed to Jarange to end or postpone his fast in view of his deteriorating health, said the government was committed to resolving the issues of the Maratha community.

The government had traced around 58 lakh Kunbi records and would expedite the issuance of Kunbi certificates. Nodal officers would be appointed to monitor the process and address difficulties faced by applicants, he said.

Jarange did not relent, but following the meeting, he appealed to Marathas to submit applications for Kunbi certificates from September 4, particularly on the basis of records traced in the Hyderabad Gazette.

Kunbi, an agrarian community, falls in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category and enjoys reservation in government jobs and education. Jarange has been seeking Kunbi certificates for eligible Marathas so that they can get reservation in the OBC quota.

He said around 58 lakh Kunbi records had been identified, and urged eligible families to initiate the process of obtaining Kunbi certificates and validity certificates.

Applications could be made on the basis of family relationships, blood relations and clan links with persons whose Kunbi records have been identified, Jarange said.

He also appealed to people facing difficulties in submitting applications to immediately approach the district collector concerned.

Despite the government's assurances, Jarange made it clear that he would not call off his hunger strike until all his demands were accepted.

“I will not withdraw my hunger strike until all the demands of the Maratha community are accepted. If Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde genuinely wants to support the Maratha community, he should take a sincere and concrete stand and extend his support,” Jarange said.

“I will drink and take IV fluids, but I will not break my fast,” he said.

Late on Thursday night, Jarange also gave an ultimatum to the government to accept his demands, failing which he would take his protest to Mumbai.

“This is my last hunger strike. My body will not support me anymore. If I protest again, I will die. I will give you time until September 11. However, if our demands are not implemented by September 11, I will go to Mumbai and protest on September 12,” he said.