Jalna, May 31 (PTI) Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has ended his indefinite fast after talks with Maharashtra government representatives, who submitted a 12-point proposal to him.
Jarange, who began his indefinite hunger strike, his ninth in last three years, at his Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district on Saturday morning, ended it shortly after midnight.
Jarange sat under a scorching summer sun on Saturday, putting pressure on the Maharashtra government, whose representatives submitted the 12-point proposal to him with an appeal to end the strike.
The government team was led by minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and BJP MLC Prasad Lad.
Addressing supporters, Jarange said the state government has agreed to provide certificates based on the 58 lakh Kunbi records that have already been identified. These documents will be displayed at village gram panchayat offices, while the responsibility for implementation will rest with the divisional commissioner’s office.
Jarange said action should be taken against officials who fail to issue certificates despite the existence of valid records. He said the government has been asked to issue formal orders and communicate them to all concerned officials.
The government has also agreed to conduct a review of the caste validity certificate process after 15 days, he said, adding he continues to support the demand for a separate ministry for Marathas and Kunbis.
Jarange said the government has promised financial assistance within 15 days to families of those who sacrificed their lives during the Maratha reservation movement.
Jarange faced multiple health issues during the latest fast. He had multiple vomiting and his blood pressure also went down, a doctor said.
Before he ended the fast, government doctors who monitored his health found multiple issues. Jalna Civil Surgeon Rajendra Patil said, “Jarange had vomiting two-three times. His blood pressure also went down and due to sitting in the hot sun, he also had dehydration.” The doctor said there will be a detailed checkup at a Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar hospital.
Jarange began the fast in Antarwali Sarati village, about 400 km from Mumbai, in the open without any canopy or protective shelter despite the intense heat.
As the protest commenced, Vikhe Patil, who heads the Maratha Reservation Cabinet Sub-Committee, rushed to the spot to hold talks and persuade Jarange to call off the stir, saying the state government was committed to resolving the issue positively.
Jarange has renewed his demand for the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to members of the Maratha community to avail the OBC quota, implementation of the Hyderabad and Satara Gazette records, and withdrawal of cases registered against Maratha protesters who participated in the reservation agitation.
He also sought the creation of a ministry for the Maratha community on the lines of the one for the Other Backward Classes (OBC).
Jarange had led a massive protest at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan starting August 29 last year. It was called off on September 2 after a breakthrough was reached with the Maharashtra government on two key demands.
He first gained prominence on August 29, 2023 during his indefinite hunger strike in Antarwali Sarati over the quota issue. A violent police crackdown during an attempt to hospitalise him catapulted him into the spotlight as the face of the Maratha quota agitation. PTI COR AW VT
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