The Maratha reservation agitation is set to intensify, with quota activist Manoj Jarange calling for the mobilisation of community members ahead of his hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati village. A warning has also been issued that the protest could be taken to Mumbai if the Maharashtra government fails to address the community’s pending demands. Jarange said the agitation would be escalated if an acceptable response was not received from the government. A march to Mumbai has been threatened, where a sit-in could be staged directly outside ‘Varsha’, the official residence of the Chief Minister. It was made clear that none of the demands raised by the community would be withdrawn during the latest phase of the agitation.
The government’s response is expected to be assessed by members of the Maratha community during the hunger strike. Jarange said a letter received from the government would be presented before those gathered at Antarwali Sarati. The protest would be called off only if the contents of the letter were considered satisfactory by the community, he said. Otherwise, the hunger strike would be continued indefinitely.
Questions were also raised over the state government’s claims regarding the benefits provided to the Maratha community. Jarange referred to the Chief Minister’s assertion that more had been given to Marathas by the present government than by previous administrations. While the assistance provided by the government was acknowledged, it was alleged that the community had also suffered because of its decisions. Government ministers were also accused of denying these concerns.
The issue of Kunbi records was again highlighted as a key point in the agitation. Jarange alleged that efforts were being made to reduce the 58 lakh Kunbi records that had earlier been identified. An appropriate government resolution has been demanded from the Mahayuti government to address the issue and provide clarity on the community’s demands.
Officials have also been asked to visit Antarwali Sarati and explain the government resolutions directly to community members. Several other demands have been placed before the government, including government employment, subject to eligibility, for families of activists who died during the Maratha reservation movement. The establishment of an independent Maratha-Kunbi ministry has also been sought, along with the revival of suspended Sarathi schemes. Immediate release of pending interest refunds from the Annasaheb Patil Economically Backward Development Corporation has been demanded.
The validation of cancelled caste certificates in the Marathwada region has also been sought. With the hunger strike being launched at Antarwali Sarati, the government’s response is expected to determine whether the agitation is withdrawn or intensified, with an indefinite protest and a fresh mobilisation towards Mumbai remaining among the options announced by Jarange.
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