Jarange-Patil warns of fresh stir from May 30

Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil plans an indefinite hunger strike from May 30, demanding reservations through Kunbi certificates and government action.

MUMBAI: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has announced a fresh agitation, demanding implementation of the Satara Gazette to provide reservations to Marathas by issuing them Kunbi caste certificates. On Saturday, he said he would embark on an indefinite hunger strike in Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district from May 30.

Jalna, India. 21, 2024: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil launched fresh indefinite hunger strike from Antarwali Sarathi village for implementation of Maratha quota demands. July 21, 2024. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

Jarange-Patil made the announcement during a meeting of community members in Antarwali Sarati, convened to decide on the future course of the Maratha reservation movement. He set a deadline of March 29 for the state government to accept his demand.

The Maratha activist said the state has not fulfilled its promises made during his indefinite hunger strike in Mumbai in September last year. Topping the list was implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette (1909) and Satara Gazette (1884) via notifications to facilitate the issuance of Kunbi certificates to Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

The state accepted the Hyderabad Gazette as a valid document to prove the Kunbi credentials of Marathas from Marathwada in September last year. Now, Jarange-Patil wants the government to accept the Satara and Pune-Aundh Gazettes, which would pave the way for Marathas from Western Maharashtra to claim OBC status. He claims a government resolution to implement the Satara Gazette is being deliberately withheld.

The state had also promised to formally outline the process for granting caste certificates based on the 5.8 million Kunbi records already identified by the government; ensure immediate approval of certificates by the caste verification committee, among other things.

Kunbi, a sub-caste of Marathas, falls in the OBC category and Jarange-Patil has been demanding that Marathas be classified as Kunbis so they can avail education and employment quota benefits offered to OBCs.

The Hyderabad Gazette of the erstwhile Nizam regime described peasant Marathas as Kunbis. It was used to provide certificates to Marathas in Marathwada after Jarange-Patil’s agitation. He says the Satara Gazette has similar mentions.

Jarange-Patil accused the Devendra Fadnavis-led state government of holding back caste validity certificates to those who secured jobs and admission for higher education in various educational institutions. “After the government resolution for implementing the Hyderabad Gazette was issued, Marathas obtained caste certificates based on the records of their antecedents, but their caste validity certificates were held back,” he alleged.