Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil ended his hunger strike, issuing a 90-day ultimatum to the Maharashtra govt to act on reservation demands. He warned the agitation would continue and intensify if the state fails to deliver on its assurances.
Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil called off his hunger strike, issuing a firm 90-day ultimatum to the state government to act on the key demands of the Maratha community, emphasising that the agitation will not end and will be further intensified if his trust is betrayed. “We are giving the government a final chance. We will allow 90 days, but the agitation will continue until it is completely successful,” he said.
Placing his trust in the administration “one last time,” Jarange stated that a 90-day period would be granted for the Government Resolution (GR) related to the Satara, Kolhapur, Aundh, and Pune gazetteers. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil stated that it might take three to four months for the report concerning the Satara, Kolhapur, and Aundh princely states to be finalised. According to him, the report spans approximately 1,600 pages.
Jarange Outlines Further Demands
Jarange also urged the government to take concrete action on the demands of the Maratha community. He called for resolving issues related to EWS and SEBC categories, addressing matters concerning SARTHI, and ensuring due respect for the families of those who made sacrifices during the reservation agitation.
Jarange alleged that families who had made sacrifices during the movement were invited to a camp at the MIDC but were subjected to humiliation there.
Call for Transparency in Records Search
While presenting his demands to the government, the activist demanded that the administration expand the scope of the campaign to locate Kunbi records. He insisted that the government should not merely offer assurances but also involve the public in the search for these records. The government has assured that the Kunbi records would not be curtailed. Jarange demanded a written assurance and a time-bound mechanism from the government regarding this matter.
The meeting also included discussions on organising camps for caste verification committees and facilitating the process regarding the Hyderabad Gazetteer for the public.
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