Jarange Unmoved By Govt Appeal, Begins Indefinite Fast

Mumbai: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Saturday began his ninth indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district. Defying the intense summer heat, he sat in the open without a canopy and rejected the government's attempts to persuade him to withdraw the agitation.

Jarange-Patil demanded the immediate issuance of a Government Resolution (GR) on the Satara Gazette and the grant of caste and validity certificates to eligible applicants based on gazette records. He also sought strict action against officials who fail to implement the process.

Earlier in the day, a government delegation led by Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil held the first round of talks with the activist. A second round of discussions was underway late on Saturday.

BJP MLC Prasad Lad, a member of the delegation, said the government would brief Jarange-Patil on the steps taken to address his demands and provide a timeline for their implementation.

The delegation had met Jarange-Patil on Friday and urged him not to proceed with the fast, maintaining that the government had acted on all his demands. Despite nearly two hours of discussions, the activist remained firm and launched his agitation on farmland in the village on Saturday morning. Several residents of Antarwali Sarati and nearby villages also joined the fast.

Lying on a cot under the blazing sun and wearing a traditional pheta, Jarange-Patil alleged that the government had failed to honour its promise of expediting Kunbi certificates for Marathas under the Hyderabad Gazette. He claimed that even eligible applicants were being denied caste validity certificates and questioned the eight-month delay in issuing a GR on the Satara Gazette despite repeated assurances.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the government remained committed to resolving the Maratha reservation issue within the framework of the Constitution and court directives.

“Our government is working in a transparent manner. We are positive about resolving the issues. We are working for all communities and do not create divisions among them. Our focus is on the welfare of every section of society,” Mr Fadnavis said, adding that he and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had taken several decisions for the upliftment of the Maratha community.

The Chief Minister also asserted that while the government was committed to addressing Maratha demands, it would ensure that no injustice was done to the OBC community.

“We will resolve all issues concerning the Maratha community, but at the same time, we will not do any injustice to the OBC community. We do not intend to transfer the benefits of one community to another,” he said.