Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil calls for collective hunger strike from January 25

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil to begin indefinite fast on January 25 for OBC reservation in Maharashtra.

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil announced on Tuesday (December 17, 2024) to begin an indefinite fast starting from January 25 in Maharashtra’s Jalna district, demanding reservation in jobs and education under the OBC category for the Maratha community. Mr. Jarange-Patil called for a collective hunger strike and appealed to the masses to join him in his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna.

Mr. Jarange-Patil selected January 25 to start his seventh hunger strike to mark one year of ‘Sage Soyre’ demand. ‘Sage Soyre’ means recognising all blood relatives of Maratha community members as Kunbis (agrarian group). “If the government do not fulfil all our demands before January 25, then it has to suffer consequences; we will bring the government to its knees,” said Mr. Jarange-Patil.

After withdrawing from the Assembly poll fray on November 4, Mr. Jarange Patil is all set to take on the newly formed government. This time, the activist has called for a collective hunger strike and hinted at also going to Mumbai if required. “All community members joining me in Sarati come prepared for Mumbai as well,” said Mr. Jarange Patil, adding once again that Maratha has to show its unity.

Urging people to join him in the strike on January 25, Mr. Jarange Patil instructed people to conduct meetings at the village level and create a huge network. He also asked workers from the Maratha community to print invitations and go door-to-door inviting people to participate in the protest. “This could be the last one, as my health doesn’t support me in holding a hunger strike anymore. I want you to participate and take this forward, so I appeal to every Maratha to come with their kin and lend their support.”

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Meanwhile, Chhagan Bhujbal, the legislator from Yeola in Nashik district, claimed that his stand on activist Manoj Jarange Patil excluded him from the Cabinet. “I stood up for the Other Backward Classes community when the Maratha quota activist was demanding its inclusion in the OBC category,” said Prominent OBC leader Mr. Bhujbal.