Maratha reservation stir to move from Jalna to Mumbai next month

Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has announced a renewed fast unto death from January 20. He has also asked the Maratha community to join him.

MUMBAI: Bringing all the state government’s efforts to placate him to nought, Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Saturday declared a renewed fast unto death from January 20. This time, he has chosen to take his fight into the government’s administrative terrain, Mumbai, and will start his protest at the hotspot of agitational politics, Azad Maidan.

Sangli: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil weaving the hands to supporters during on tour for reservation activity at Sangli on Friday. Photo by Uday Deolekar Sangli. (UDAY DEOLEKAR)

The activist made the announcement at a mammoth rally in Beed, in which lakhs of Marathas participated. Urging the community to accompany him to the financial capital of the country, and to not leave till the government announced a decision on Maratha reservation, he declared that he wanted to give adequate time to people to finish all their essential jobs before leaving for Mumbai.

Jarange-Patil also asked the state government to ensure reservations to the Maratha community in the days before January 20. “The day my people start their foot march from Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna, there will be no turning back,” he warned. “All talks with the government will also be stopped.”

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The activist’s decision partly hinges on the fact that the government has imposed curbs on assembly under Section 144 till January 18 in many districts. “Let us move to Mumbai then,” he said. “From January 20, Jarange-Patil will sit on an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan and you all will come to meet me. Let them make all the preparations because our number will not be less than three crores. Let me see how they stop us.”

Jarange-Patil also requested the community to refrain from resorting to violence during the next phase of the protest. “Do not allow anyone to tarnish the image of our protest,” he said. “If someone is found indulging in violent activities, take them to the police and get them arrested. Cooperate with the police, not the government. Those restoring to violence are not from our side, so be cautious during the foot march.”

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The activist also asked Maratha women to start holding protests at the residences of elected representatives in case the government created trouble for those on strike in Mumbai. “Do not leave their residences,” he exhorted. “You fight here and we will fight there.” He further said that the community should hold protests outside police stations if the police started detaining their children to stop them from going to Mumbai.

Recently, independent MLA Bachchu Kadu, along with CM Eknath Shinde’s close aide Mangesh Chivate, met Jarange-Patil to persuade him to not resume his protest from December 24 as he had earlier announced. Before this, a ministerial delegation met the activist twice to convince him to give the government time till February to take a decision on the reservation issue. Despite all the placatory efforts, however, Jarange-Patil’s tough stance endures.