Manoj Jarange
“Until govt actually implements all our demands, I will not take anything and will not undergo treatment,” Jarange said. The development effectively reset negotiations between govt and the agitators, days after Jarange had temporarily agreed to accept water and saline following assurances from a ministerial delegation that some key demands would be addressed within two days. With that deadline passing without any tangible decision, Jarange hardened his stand and turned away a medical team that attempted to examine him.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Maratha reservation agitation entered a critical phase on Saturday as quota activist Manoj Jarange stopped taking water and saline on the eighth day of his indefinite fast and refused medical treatment, saying he would accept nothing short of implementation of all his demands.
Jarange, however, has made it clear that he remains determined to march to Mumbai on Sept 12 if the demands are not fulfilled. At the heart of the agitation is the demand for immediate issuance of Kunbi certificates based on the 58 lakh Kunbi records identified by the Justice Shinde committee and implementation of provisions in the Hyderabad Gazetteer for granting Kunbi status to eligible Marathas in Marathwada. Jarange further wants all pending SARTHI schemes to be implemented, funds for the Dr Punjabrao Deshmukh scholarship to be released and hostel facilities to be expanded. Stay updated with the latest Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar news.
Other key demands include immediate implementation of the “sage-soyare (blood relatives)” notification, withdrawal of all cases registered against Maratha protesters across Maharashtra, including those linked to the Antarwali Sarati agitation, and creation of a separate “Maratha and Kunbi” ministry. Govt delegation has indicated that its final decision on the demands could be communicated within the next one or two days. Jarange has also demanded govt resolutions (GRs) for implementing provisions contained in the gazetteers of the Satara and Kolhapur princely states and the Aundh-Pune-Bombay govt, along with clarity on caste validity certificate procedures. He has sought immediate Kunbi certificates for eligible applicants and caste validity certificates for those who have already secured Kunbi status. He has also demanded effective implementation of the government resolution extending OBC facilities and concessions to the Maratha community. He has also sought jobs and financial aid for families of protesters who died during the reservation movement. Among his remaining demands are the resumption of the Justice Shinde committee’s scrutiny of historical records for Kunbi entries, appointment letters for Maratha candidates selected under EWS, SEBC and ESBC categories, and payment of pending interest refunds to beneficiaries of vehicle loans routed through the Annasaheb Patil Economic Backward Development Corporation. With Jarange refusing water, saline and treatment, and his Mumbai march deadline looming, the standoff is once again back to square one. Download the TOI App.