OBC activists suspend hunger strike after meeting with ministers

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil claimed the protests by OBC quota activists were stage-managed by the ruling alliance

Mumbai: Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota activists Laxman Hake and Navnath Waghmare called off their indefinite hunger strike on Saturday after a delegation of ministers visited the protest site in Wadigodri village in Jalna district and handed over a written memorandum assuring their demands would be fulfilled. Hake and Waghmare, however, said that the protest was only suspended and it would not be called off unless a white paper on reservations for Marathas was released by the state government even as sporadic protests were reported from other parts of the state. Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil claimed the protests by OBC quota activists were stage-managed by the ruling alliance.

Saturday was the tenth day of Hake and Waghamare’s indefinite hunger strike against the state government’s announcement of giving Kunbi certificates to blood relatives or ‘sage soyare’ of Marathas. The OBC activists claimed it would pave the way for the backdoor entry of Marathas into the OBC quota. (Photo by Santosh Bhutekar)

Saturday was the tenth day of Hake and Waghamare’s indefinite hunger strike against the state government’s announcement of giving Kunbi certificates to blood relatives or ‘sage soyare’ of Marathas. The OBC activists claimed it would pave the way for the backdoor entry of Marathas into the OBC quota. Their demands included scrapping the 5.4 million Kunbi-related documents, halting the issuance of Kunbi certificates, linking Kunbi certificates with Aadhar, and not issuing the final notification on reservations until all suggestions and objections are taken into consideration.

The delegation that met Hake and Waghmare on Saturday included state minister and OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal, ministers Girish Mahajan, Atul Save and Uday Samant, BJP leader Gopichand Padalkar and former legislator Ramesh Shendge. Bhujbal, who led the delegation, said the government had decided to link Kunbi certificates with Aadhar and take action against officials who doled out fraudulent certificates.

“Chief minister Eknath Shinde has also convened a meeting to discuss issues related to the OBCs. The state government will have to act on the assurance, or else we will join the protest next time,” said Bhujbal. He also demanded caste-based survey of OBCs to ensure the community gets its rightful share in reservations.

Speaking after the meeting with the delegation, Hake said, “Barring a couple of cases, the state government has responded positively to our demands. We are happy that they have decided to link Kunbi certificates with Aadhar to prevent their misuse. The government has also announced a cabinet sub-committee to discuss issues related to the OBC community. We are not very convinced about the announcement regarding action against officials who doled out fraudulent Kunbi certificates. We are suspending the protest for now, but not calling it off permanently. We want the government to come out with a white paper on the status of the reservation process (for Marathas). We will decide on the further course of action after that.”

Responding to the developments, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil said the state government was instigating a rift between the two communities, which could result in riots in the state.

“Bhujbal is behind the agitation by the OBC activists and if riots break out, he will be responsible. I urge OBCs and Dhangars not to fall prey to the instigation as the politicians behind these moves have nothing to lose. Ultimately, it is the poor people who will suffer,” said Jarange-Patil.

He also objected to the decision of halting the issuance of Kunbi certificates until the scrutiny was over. “We have been getting reservation as OBCs since 1871 on the basis of historic proof of backwardness. We not encroaching upon anybody’s share,” he said.

Bhujbal hit back, saying OBCs would not fight with anybody though they were being threatened. “We do not want to indulge in confrontation with anybody. But this does not mean that we are afraid,” he said.

Meanwhile, sporadic protests by OBC activists were reported from several places in the state on Saturday. In Beed, the Ahmednagar highway was blocked by setting tires ablaze while in Khilad village in the same district, OBCs shaved their head to pressure the state government to fulfill their demands. Bandhs were also observed in some parts of Marathwada in support of the indefinite hunger strike by Hake and Waghmare.

Given the mounting tension between the two communities, chief minister Eknath Shinde said the government would ensure there was no caste-based tension in the state.