The Maharashtra government on Friday night said it has accepted “all demands” from pro-Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil after he threatened to march to the country’s commercial capital to stage an indefinite hunger strike.
The decision came following a meeting held by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with a team of officials at Varsha, the official residence of the Maharashtra CM.
Later, a State government delegation went to Vashi, where the activist is currently camping, with a copy of the draft Ordinance. Sources within the CMO told The Hindu that the first copy would be handed over to Mr. Jarange-Patil before being made public.
Earlier in the day, in a fresh demand, the pro-Maratha quota activist asked the Maharashtra government to amend its free education policy, extending the benefit to all Marathas until reservation is available for the entire community.
Mr. Jarange-Patil, accompanied by thousands of supporters, had addressed a rally at Shivaji Chowk in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, and warned that if their demands were not met by Friday night, they would proceed to Mumbai for a planned protest at Azad Maidan ground on Saturday. He arrived at Vashi on Friday morning as part of his march towards Mumbai which began on January 20 from Jalna district demanding Maratha quota under the OBC classification in jobs and education, and he had stopped solid food intake while subsisting only on water. A government delegation met him and gave him some documents on his demands.
The 41-year-old activist had stated his intention to stay in Navi Mumbai for the day but signalled a potential move to Mumbai if an Ordinance addressing his demands was not promulgated by nightfall. “I am taking a step backwards. If an ordinance is not promulgated tonight, I will come to Mumbai tomorrow,” he had said.
He insisted that boys should also receive free education besides girls, and all Marathas should benefit “from KG to PG” until community-wide reservation is implemented by the Mr. Shinde-led Maharashtra government.
The decision on going to Azad Maidan will be taken on Saturday noon, Mr. Jarange-Patil said and added that once he set out, there would be no turning back. “Won’t go back home until we get the reservation for Marathas,” he told the followers amidst cheering and sloganeering.
Requesting data on the 37 lakh Kunbi certificates issued by the State government, he sought clarity on the distribution of these certificates among Marathas. The Kunbi, categorised as an Other Backward Class (OBC), has been a focal point in his demand for certificates for the entire Maratha community.
He expressed concern over the lack of information on the 54 lakh Kunbi records found by the government, urging transparency in the data. “The government has told me that 54 lakh Kunbi records have been found, of which 37 lakh certificates have been given. Who are these people? We need data,” the activist said.
Once Kunbi records are found, he said, over two crore Marathas would be eligible for OBC certificates, and every Maratha should apply for the Kunbi certificate to get the benefits of reservation. “Once an individual is confirmed that they belong to Kunbi caste, their entire family, all relatives, should be entitled to reservation,” he said.
He also proposed the inclusion of reserved seats for Marathas in current government job recruitments. Additionally, he demanded the withdrawal of cases against Maratha activists involved in previous quota protests.
Despite the Mumbai Police denying permission for his hunger strike in the city, Mr. Jarange-Patil, had remained undeterred. The police on Thursday suggested an alternative, International Corporation Park Ground in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, due to the impracticality of accommodating such a large gathering in Mumbai.
However, State Minister Deepak Kesarkar had said that the activist’s demands have been accepted, and discussions will determine the future course of action. The government later announced it accepted the demands.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, also Home Minister, said everyone has the right to protest but it should be done peacefully without disturbing law and order. His Cabinet colleague and rebel Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar clarified that he supports reservation for the Maratha community in government jobs and education and Mr. Shinde was trying to resolve the issue through talks.
However, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole accused the State government of misleading the Marathas on quota, a reason why community members had begun the march to Mumbai. He demanded that the Maratha quota should be granted constitutionally.
