Maratha quota: Jarange Patil ends 20-day fast after govt assurances

Patoda: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Thursday announced the suspension of his 20-day hunger strike after holding talks with a Maharashtra government delegation and gave the state government 90 days to implement key demands, including those related to the Satara Gazette.

The delegation comprised Ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Dadaji Bhuse, MLAs Prasad Lad and Suresh Dhas, and the Beed District Collector.

Following the talks, Jarange Patil said he was giving the government three months to implement the Satara Gazette and warned that he would march to Mumbai if the government failed to honour its commitments. He made it clear that suspending the hunger strike did not mean the agitation had ended.

Jarange Patil sought an assurance that the 58 lakh Kunbi records identified by the Shinde Committee would not be reduced and offered to provide people to assist in locating the records. He criticised the committee for not functioning effectively and accused the government of being inattentive, saying the battle would continue until the demands were achieved.

The government delegation assured him that the Satara, Kolhapur, Pune and Aundh Gazettes would be implemented within three months through a Government Resolution (GR). It also assured that a revised GR would be issued to grant Kunbi certificates in accordance with the Hyderabad Gazette, that certificates already issued under the Hyderabad Gazette would continue to be validated, and that none of the 58 lakh Kunbi records identified by the Shinde Committee would be reduced.

The delegation also assured revalidation of the four revoked Kunbi certificates of elected representatives from Marathwada.

Jarange Patil specifically demanded that the four revoked certificates be validated and urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to publicly address his key demands through a press conference or video statement. He said the assurance concerning the 58 lakh Kunbi records should carry the Chief Minister's signature or be publicly given by him.

He also demanded that good officers be appointed to locate the Kunbi records, warning that the agitation would continue if the government was merely trying to buy time.

Jarange Patil said Chief Minister Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were not his enemies, but questioned what choice he had when he was attacked. He said that despite any mistakes by Minister Vikhe Patil, people should treat him with affection, and expressed similar sentiments towards Shinde, though not at present. He added that he would not remain silent if ministers criticised the protesters.

He said officials who had earlier avoided talks had now come forward to negotiate and stressed that the dignity of the Maratha community was more important than reservations.

During the discussions, Vikhe Patil explained that the Satara Gazette involved a 1,100-page report and would require three to four months of study before action could be taken. On the Hyderabad Gazette GR, which is currently pending before the court, Vikhe Patil assured that steps would be taken to ensure that it did not face a stay order.

In response, Jarange Patil questioned why the Maratha community continued to be overlooked and demanded immediate implementation of the Satara, Kolhapur, Pune and Aundh Gazettes through a GR.

Referring to a recent government resolution stating that Hindu Wani, Hindu Vaishya and Vaishya Wani were the same community, he demanded a similar GR declaring that "Maratha and Kunbi are one and the same".

He further demanded that the GR explicitly state, as in the case of other communities, that Marathas were historically Kunbi during the pre-Independence period and were excluded from reservations due to an oversight.

BJP MLA Prasad Lad said Jarange Patil had ended his 20-day hunger strike following requests from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar. Lad said the government had committed to fulfilling the promises made to Jarange within 90 days.

Jarange Patil had earlier set out for Mumbai to begin an agitation at Azad Maidan on September 19. Police denied permission for the protest citing security concerns and the potential strain on law enforcement during the Ganesh festival.

As he travelled towards Mumbai, Jarange Patil's health deteriorated after he stopped consuming water and IV fluids. The government's outreach in Beed and the assurances given during the talks led him to suspend the fast.

Addressing his supporters, Jarange Patil extended greetings on Marathwada Liberation Day, which marks the end of Nizam rule in the region. He assured the community that he would never abandon them and would not back down without securing the Gazettes.

Addressing Minister Dadaji Bhuse and MLA Prasad Lad, he reiterated that the government must implement the GRs for the Satara, Aundh and Bombay Gazettes, pointing to the widespread public support across western Maharashtra.

He concluded by reiterating that the government must provide a written guarantee that not a single one of the 58 lakh Kunbi records would be removed and that certificates would be granted in accordance with the Hyderabad Gazette.

With IANS inputs