​​Jarange begins 9th hunger strike to press for Maratha quota demands

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Saturday launched a fresh indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, demanding Kunbi certificates for all Marathas from Marathwada, even as state govt rushed a 12-point draft proposal in response to his demands.

The govt delegation, led by BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation, reached out to Jarange and presented the draft. Jarange, beginning his agitation in the open without any canopy, said experts from the Maratha community should review the proposal before a decision is taken.

“It has been observed that whenever a GR is issued, experts initially claim it is perfect, but later they start pointing out deficiencies in it. I do not want any confusion in the minds of the Maratha community,” said Jarange, who is holding his ninth hunger strike in around three years.

Jarange has reiterated key demands, including granting Kunbi caste certificates to the Marathas to enable them to avail OBC reservation and the implementation of Hyderabad and Satara Gazette records to establish Kunbi lineage.

According to govt’s 12-point draft, details of 58 lakh Kunbi records found (which were sought by Jarange) are already available on official district websites. It also proposes that the Divisional Commissioner of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar will implement a standard operating procedure (SOP), with house visits and special camps planned over the next three months to facilitate issuance of certificates based on Hyderabad Gazette records. The draft adds that “disciplinary action would be taken against the negligent officers” and that caste verification work will be reviewed by the divisional commissioner every 15 days.

To the demand of creation of a separate govt department for the welfare of the Maratha community, the draft promises that action to establish a Maratha reservation cell will be taken within a month. The draft also claims that financial assistance has already been provided to the heirs of 275 out of 306 protesters who died for the cause of Maratha reservation, and the remaining 31 heirs will be provided financial assistance in the next 15 days.

Vikhe Patil, who met Jarange along with BJP MLC Prasad Lad on Friday to dissuade Jarange from holding an agitation, told reporters on Saturday that state govt was positive about responding to the demands of the Maratha community.

“Manoj Jarange should discontinue his agitation. Govt has been addressing the demands raised by the Maratha community in a sustained manner. There could be shortcomings or delays in implementing earlier decisions due to technical or administrative issues, and it may have produced anger among the Maratha community,” Vikhe Patil said. He added that decisions must remain within legal bounds to withstand judicial scrutiny.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also said govt was committed to the issue and its role is transparent. “We are people who do positive work. We do not pit communities against each other. We take decisions based on the Constitution and the decisions of the Supreme Court and high courts,” he said, adding that the state would not reallocate reservation from one community to another.

Meanwhile, tension briefly escalated when traffic on the Solapur-Dhule highway was disrupted after rumours spread about Jarange’s deteriorating health. Police later cleared the blockade and restored vehicular movement.

OBC activist Laxman Hake warned of a counter-agitation if Jarange’s stir threatens his community’s interests. “If he (Jarange) sits in the open, we will sit on hard farm soil during our agitation. The venue and other details of the agitation will be announced shortly,” he said.