Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange on Saturday announced he will launch an indefinite hunger strike from May 30 at Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district, stating he can no longer wait for the Marathas to be granted blanket reservation under the OBC category. He accused the Maharashtra government of failing to fulfil its promises.
Jarange's Announcement and Demands
Addressing supporters, Jarange said the agitation would intensify statewide, with large-scale participation from the Maratha community. He warned that no further time would be given to the government to meet their demands.
He demanded the immediate resumption of stalled issuance of Kunbi caste certificates based on Hyderabad Gazette records and called for the process to be completed in Marathwada before the agitation begins. He also sought issuance of certificates to nearly 58 lakh Marathas whose Kunbi lineage records have allegedly been identified.
Other Key Demands
- Immediate government resolution (GR) linked to the Satara Gazette, and pending GRs related to the princely state gazettes of Satara, Kolhapur and Pune as per the 1994 policy framework.
- Dissolution of the state-appointed Maratha sub-committee, alleging it was 'creating divisions within the Maratha community.'
Targeting Chief Minister Fadnavis
Targeting chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Jarange alleged that despite an existing GR linked to Hyderabad Gazette records, the administration was deliberately halting certificate distribution. 'I am not blaming Fadnavis for the GR, but if certificates are being stopped despite government order, then the chief minister is responsible,' he said, referring to the CM's earlier statement in the Assembly asserting his final authority.
Call for Special Drive
Jarange urged the government to launch a special drive for certificate distribution similar to the earlier drive led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, stressing that poor Maratha families should not be denied reservation benefits once their Kunbi records are established.
He also questioned the government's stance on a GR stating that those availing reservation benefits should not compete in the open category.
Background of the Issue
The announcement comes amid renewed mobilisation by Maratha groups over reservation and OBC-linked Kunbi certification, an issue that has triggered repeated protests across Maharashtra over the past two years.
