NEW DELHI: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has suspended his indefinite fast, which he began six days ago to demand reservation for the Maratha community. Jarange announced the suspension and set a one-month deadline for the Maharashtra government to meet the community’s demands. This decision came after discussions with Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai and Shiv Sena MP Sandipan Bhumre at Jarange’s native village, Antarwali Sarati, in the Jalna district.
Addressing supporters at the protest site, Jarange declared, “We are giving a month’s time to the government to fulfil the demands of the Maratha community.But we will also go ahead with our preparations for the upcoming assembly elections. If the government doesn’t provide reservation to us, we will go and take it.”
Jarange warned that if the demands are not met within a month, neither opposition members nor those in the government should approach the Maratha community. He said, “We will defeat the candidates (in the state assembly elections) by declaring their names.”
The protest led by Jarange is centered around the implementation of a draft notification recognizing Kunbis as “sage soyare” (blood relatives) of Maratha community members. He is also seeking a law to identify Kunbis as Marathas. The Kunbi community, an agrarian group, falls under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Jarange’s demand includes issuing Kunbi certificates to all Marathas, making them eligible for quota benefits.
Following his meeting with Jarange, minister Shambhuraj Desai indicated a positive move forward, said, “A meeting will be convened tomorrow (over the issue). Of the last five months, two months passed in following the model code of conduct (for the Lok Sabha polls). We will take a positive decision on the demands of the Maratha community in a month. If additional manpower is required to expedite the work, we will do so with the permission of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.”
The Maharashtra government is expected to address these demands promptly, with further developments anticipated in the coming month.
