The Maratha Kranti Morcha has asked agitators to adhere to a ‘code of conduct’ and said that the tenor of today’s Maharashtra bandh over the reservation question will be peaceful and that essential services across the State will not be disrupted.
Morcha coordinators across the State, who met in Aurangabad on Wednesday to deliberate on the nature of the shutdown, appealed to protestors to not block highways and indulge in destruction of property, cooperate with police personnel, and not trust rumours.
Meanwhile, the Pune District Administration, said that schools and colleges in rural and urban pockets will remain closed during the shutdown. “All educational institutions, including the Savitribai Phule Pune University, have been notified to remain closed bearing in mind the security of the students,” said Pune District Collector Naval Kishore Ram.
Security arrangements are in place to avoid incidents such as the clashes in the district’s Chakan area. “More than 2000 policemen, 900 home guards, three State Reserve Police Force companies, one Rapid Action Force company and 20 striking platoons have been deployed to ensure the bandh proceeds peacefully. A special meeting has been held in Chakan to nip possible law and order incidents,” said Sandip Patil, Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural).
Maratha outfits had already decided not to stage shutdowns in Navi Mumbai and Thane; they announced that they would also enfore shutdowns in Akola, Hingoli and Parbhani districts. “There have been many cases lodged against demonstrators in Parbhani and Hingoli districts. Hence, activists will only stage sit-ins there,” said Shantaram Kunjir, a Morcha coordinator.
Commuting is likely to be affected in the State’s rural hinterland. Shops are also expected to remain shut.
Mr. Kunjir further said that the quota agitation would not be formally withdrawn until Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had agreed, in writing, to all the 20 demands made by the Morcha. “While only the primary demand, that of reservation, is now being heard in court, the State must agree to take back all cases registered over the past month against activists. It must further agree to hostels for Maratha students and a 50% waiver in their total education fees,” he said.
Morcha Coordinators also decided that Aurangabad will act as the nerve-centre of the agitation in the future and not Parli in Beed district.
“Coordinators at the meet expressed displeasure at the Parli faction by declaring the area to be the decision-making centre of the protest,” said a coordinator, requesting anonymity.
Last week, at a press conference in Beed, Abasaheb Patil, one of the prominent Morcha leaders had announced Parli as the headquarters of the agitation and said that a separate committee would be constituted to to hold parleys with the government.
Mr. Patil’s actions have provoked disapproval among other members of the Morcha, who assert that the decisions at Parli were taken without the consent of other Morcha leaders
Suicide in Latur
Even as Morcha leaders in Aurangabad issued fresh appeals to end suicides, Ramesh Patil, a school teacher in Latur district’s Matephal village, allegedly took his life because of the delay in reservation according to a suicide note, taking the number of suicide cases over the issue to ten.
Patil, a father of three, allegedly took the step because of severe debt and as his children were unemployed despite being bright students, police said.
