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Jarange-Patil ends strike, says ‘demands fulfilled’ after meeting CM Shinde
Patil, who is seeking reservation in education and jobs for the community under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category, had been fasting since Friday morning to press for a “government resolution” on the Maratha quota issue
Mumbai: After deliberations that continued overnight, Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil declared to withdraw his agitation on Saturday morning, stating that the state government has “not only accepted his demands but also issued relevant orders for implementation”. He added that he would not go to Mumbai now.
Patil, who is seeking reservation in education and jobs for the community under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category, had been fasting since Friday morning to press for a “government resolution” on the Maratha quota issue.
Shinde, who reached Vashi in Navi Mumbai on Saturday morning, met Patil after accepting his demands and handed over a copy of draft notification (on extending benefits of quota to blood relatives). The chief minister offered a glass of juice, which Patil accepted and broke his fast. Shinde later handed over the orders to the Maratha activist in a rally at Shivaji Chowk, where they also together garlanded the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
“Our demand was to issue Kunbi certificates to the blood relatives to Maratha individuals having Kunbi antecedents. An order to this effect has been issued,” the Maratha activist said, showing the copy of a notification issued by the social justice department in a presser held early Saturday morning.
The notification will turn into formal order after the government receives suggestions and objections by February 16 and then issues a final notification.
The primary demand was the issuance of Kunbi certificates to approximately 5.4 million individuals, which has now been met by the state.
Patil praised CM Shinde for his efforts and announced to hold a grand rally to celebrate the victory, for which a date and place will be announced soon.
Expressing his satisfaction with the government’s response, he said, “Chief minister Eknath Shinde has done a good job. Our protest is now over. Our request has been accepted. We will accept the letter from him.”
Patil had threatened to march towards Mumbai if the chief minister Eknath Shinde-led government did not issue orders to meet the demands by Saturday morning.
“I have said that will go to Mumbai, but for us, this is also Mumbai. We have to hold a huge victory rally, bigger than the one held Antarwali Sarathi Jalna last year, for which a place and date will be declared soon,” he said, clarifying that he has scrapped his plan to come to Mumbai.
He, however, said that he would march to Mumbai if the government failed to get the notification pass the legal scrutiny. “This is our victory. However, if anything happens to this notification then this time I will definitely come to Azad Maidan (to hold a hunger strike). It is government’s duty to make it pass legal scrutiny,” he said in a rally held after breaking a fast at Shivaji Chowk, Vashi.
CM Shinde also congratulated Patil and the protestors for holding the march peacefully. “I am also a son of a farmer. I know their problems and sufferings. Thus took an oath of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to give reservation to Marathas that has been fulfilled today. I do what I say,” the chief minister said while addressing the gathering.
Terming it as a historic moment, CM Shinde said, “We take decisions in the interest of the people and not eyeing on their votes.” Shinde, who also comes from the Maratha community, chose to take a jibe at other Maratha leaders saying, “Maratha community made many big leaders but they did not stand by the community when it needed the most.”
On late Friday night, deliberations between senior government officials were held between the protesters. Shinde, after holding meetings with officials to discuss demands had sent a delegation with a draft ordinance addressing the concerns raised by the Patil. The draft of the notification was studied by senior lawyers from the Maratha community.
Jarange-Patil started his march to Mumbai on January 20 demanding reservation for the Maratha community. He was expected to reach Mumbai on January 26 but after assurances by the government, he chose to stay at Vashi in Navi Mumbai, giving 24 hours to the Shinde-led government to issue relevant orders over his demands.
