Will stop taking water, drugs from Sunday: Maratha quota leader

Quota activist Manoj Jarange hardened his position on Saturday asserting that his fast will go on till Marathas in Maharashtra get Kunbi certificates under the Other Backward Class category and threatened to stop taking water and medicines from Sunday.

Jarange, whose hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district for reservation for the community in government jobs and education entered 12th day, also rejected the fresh outcome of talks held with a delegation of Maratha community leaders and the government late on Friday night in Mumbai.

“Our demand is that the Maratha community in Maharashtra get Kunbi caste certificates,” Jarange said.

Earlier this week, the Maharashtra cabinet decided that Kunbi caste certificates would be issued to those Marathas hailing from the Marathwada region who possess revenue or education documents from the Nizam era that recognise them as Kunbis.

Announcing the cabinet decision, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that he would also speak with his Telangana counterpart for any help in this matter.

Based on the cabinet decision, a government resolution was issued on September 7, but it failed to placate Jarange.

Kunbis, a community associated with agriculture, are grouped under the Other Backward Classes category in Maharashtra and enjoy reservation benefits in education and government jobs.

The Marathwada region was part of the erstwhile Hyderabad kingdom before it became part of Maharashtra.

CM Shinde and deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis Ajit Pawar met a delegation of Maratha leaders on Friday night following which a sealed envelope was sent to Jarange.

However, he was not pleased with the outcome of the meeting.

Jarange said they had suggested that the GR be revised to give Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha community across Maharashtra.

“That did not happen,” he said.

The GR brought by the government earlier this week states that one has to give genealogy documents and evidence for procuring the Kunbi certificate and this was also subject to a report by a panel formed by the government to look into the issue.

Jarange has made three more demands apart from seeking revision in the September 7 GR.

The activist has said that the government had brought out a GR in 2004 recognising Kunbis, Maratha-Kunbis and Kunbi-Marathas as OBCs (Other Backward Classes) but it was too rigid and did not benefit those who deserved quota.

He has asked the government to amend that GR.

He has also demanded action against those policemen who lathi-charged protesters in Jalna district last week and the withdrawal of police cases against the agitators.

The Maratha quota matter snowballed into a major challenge for the state government after the police last week baton-charged a violent mob at Antarwali Sarati when protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift Jarange to hospital.

Several persons, including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze in the violence.

The police action in Jalna triggered more protests by the community across the state and a war of words between the ruling dispensation and the opposition.

Amid the developments, deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday that the government regretted the use of force.