Maratha Quota Agitation: Manoj Jarange To Go On Indefinite Fast Again

New Delhi: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil announced on Tuesday that he would begin an indefinite fast on January 25 to pressurize the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government into fulfilling the demands of the Maratha community for reservation in jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.  

Patil urged members of the Maratha community to gather in large numbers at Antarwali Sarthi village, where the protest will take place. "No one should stay at home. Come to Antarwali Sarthi, and let us show our collective strength," he said, while also stressing that participation would be voluntary.  

The activist accused the state government of "cheating" the Maratha community and failing to deliver on promises. “We will not spare them if they don’t meet our demands during the ongoing winter session,” Patil said.  

At the heart of Patil’s demands is the implementation of the draft notification that recognizes the Kunbis—an agrarian community—as related by birth or marriage (sage soyare) to the Marathas. This would enable Marathas to claim reservations under the existing OBC category.  

Patil also called on the government to expedite the work of the Justice (retd) Sandeep Shinde Committee, which was formed to accelerate the process of issuing Kunbi certificates to eligible Maratha community members.  

Manoj Jarange Patil, who became the face of the Maratha quota agitation, staged six hunger strikes last year to highlight the community's demand. His protests culminated in February 2024, when the Maharashtra government unanimously passed a bill granting 10% reservation* to the Marathas under a separate category. However, Patil has continued to insist on quotas under the OBC category, which already includes the Kunbi community.  

Ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, Patil withdrew his initial plan to field candidates and pledged support to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena (UBT). He clarified that his decision came after realizing that elections cannot be fought solely on caste lines, especially as smaller allied groups representing Dalits and Muslims did not extend their support.