Mumbai: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, who was on a hunger strike at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan since 29 August, ended his strike on the fifth day of the protest Tuesday, declaring a victory after the Maharashtra government agreed to accept six out of his eight core demands.
This was the first government outreach to Jarange-Patil in this latest agitation to press for a quota for Marathas under the OBC category. A cabinet sub-committee assured him through a Government Resolution that some of his demands would be met.
“This is your victory. All this was possible because of you,” an emotional Jarange-Patil told his supporters as he broke his fast after accepting the GR.
This was followed by celebrations at and outside the Azad Maidan with his supporters and protesters throwing gulal in the air signifying victory.
Speaking to the media after the resolution, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “I am happy that a solution was found for the community. Ideally, we were ready to implement the Hyderabad Gazette but his demand of granting reservation to ‘all’ was not possible legally. And we made him realise that and that is why the stalemate could be broken.”
He also congratulated the sub-committee members. He said that Marathwada people whose ancestry was recognised as Kunbi, could be given the certificates.
“And because of the Hyderabad Gazette, it will now be possible and by establishing a family tree, we could give them certificates. The OBC community should also not be scared that anyone could take this benefit. This will benefit Marathas in Marathwada,” he said.
The demands
One of their major demands was the implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette with immediate effect. The government accepting the demand paves the way for Kunbi caste certificates to be issued to Marathas after verification of family, village, and kinship records.
Jarange-Patil has been demanding that Maratha be given Kunbi certificates under the OBC category.
Before handing them the Government Resolution, the sub committee, led by Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, met Jarange-Patil and gave him a letter conveying the government’s willingness to accept some of his demands.
Jarange-Patil read out the letter to his supporters, but demanded the issuance of a Government Resolution before he breaks his fast. An hour later, the sub committee came with the GR and presented it to him. Only after he saw the GR, he broke his fast.
“The government has now made a decision on this,” Jarange-Patil said. “Minister (Radhakrishna) Vikhe Patil has given an assurance that if the protesters agree to the proposal, the government will issue a GR (Government Resolution) on it.”
“The sub-committee has decided to approve the proposed demand for the implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette. According to this government decision, an action plan is proposed under which individuals from the Maratha community in the village will be issued Kunbi caste certificates after verification, if their relatives, clan members, or people from the same village have already been issued such certificates,” he said.
The Hyderabad Gazette contains records that Marathas were considered Kunbis during the Nizam era and were recognised as OBCs. They were given reservation in jobs and education during that time.
Jarange-Patil and protesters were also demanding that along with Hyderabad Gazette, Satara Gazette should also be implemented. The government said it will take about 15 days to make a decision on that, but Jarange-Patil asserted they can wait a month.
The government issued GRs on other demands including the withdrawal of cases against Maratha youth by the end of September.
The government also agreed to give ex gratia to the families of those who died during quota protests and said it will keep Rs 15 crore for it. The government will also provide jobs to their kin, which was promised during the 2024 protest but not implemented yet.
He had also demanded that 58 lakh Kunbi records which are found till now should be evaluated and such people given certificates accordingly. The GR mentions that this work will be completed at zilla (district) level.
His other key demand that Kunbi and Marathas be officially recognised as one and the same remained unresolved. The sub-committee said it will take time to resolve this, citing errors in caste records and administrative hurdles. (moved up).
On the demand to include the sage soyare in the draft notification for granting Kunbi certificates to eligible persons from the Maratha community, the government said it will take time because about 8 lakh objections need to be studied.
The Maratha community constitutes nearly 30 percent of the state population. In 2018, the Fadnavis-led BJP government extended 16 percent reservation to them under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) category, but the Supreme Court struck it down in 2021, citing it breached the 50 percent quota ceiling.
In August 2023, Jarange-Patil emerged as the face of the pro-quota movement after he started his agitation in his Antarwali Sarati village.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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