Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who initiated a hunger strike on January 19, declared the end of his protest after the Maharashtra government accepted his demands. The culmination of the hunger strike was marked by a statement from Patil, stating, “Our protest is now over. Our request has been accepted. I will drink juice by the hands of the Chief Minister tomorrow (Saturday).”
To symbolize the resolution, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Patil jointly garlanded the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Navi Mumbai on Saturday. The hunger strike reached its conclusion after the state government acknowledged and agreed to address all the demands put forth by the Maratha reservation activist.
Demands of Manoj Jarange Patil:
Immediate Implementation of Maratha Reservation:
Manoj Jarange Patil’s primary demand was the immediate implementation of the Maratha reservation. The Maratha community constitutes approximately 33% of Maharashtra’s population, encompassing various castes engaged in different professions, including landowners, peasants, and warriors.
The Maratha-Kshatriya surnames include Deshmukh, Bhonsle, More, Shirke, and Jadhav, while Kunbi represents a predominantly agrarian sub-caste. Facing challenges such as low yields from land holdings and periodic droughts, the agrarian Marathas sought reservation to address farm distress. The Marathwada region emerged as a focal point for the Maratha caste agitation.
Inclusion of Marathas in Free Education Policy:
Patil urged the government to amend its free education policy to include all Marathas until the benefits of reservation become available for the entire community. The demand included amending the free education policy to provide boys with free education, aligning with the current provision for girls. Patil emphasized that free education should be extended “from KG to PG” (kindergarten to post-graduation) until the entire community attains reservation benefits.
Data on Kunbi Certificates:
The activist sought data on the 37 lakh Kunbi certificates issued by the state government. This information was considered essential in the context of Maratha reservations.
Reservation in Government Job Recruitment:
Manoj Jarange Patil emphasized the need for current government job recruitment to allocate reserved seats for Marathas. This measure aimed at ensuring representation and opportunities for the Maratha community in government employment.
Background of Maratha Reservation:
The demand for reservations for Marathas dates back to 1982 when the first protest took place under the leadership of labour union leader Annasaheb Patil. Initially centered around economic considerations post the Mandal Commission report of 1990, the demand gradually shifted towards caste-based quotas.
In 2004, the Maharashtra government included Maratha-Kunbis and Kunbi-Marathas in the list of other backward classes (OBCs) but excluded those identifying solely as Marathas. The inclusion of Kunbi in the OBC category was a notable development.
In 2018, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis passed a bill granting 16% reservation to Marathas in education and jobs. However, the reservation faced legal challenges, leading to a reduction to 13% in jobs and 12% in education by the Bombay High Court. The Supreme Court later struck down the law, citing a violation of the 50% reservation ceiling in the state.
The recent hunger strike by Manoj Jarange Patil underscored the persistent efforts to address the concerns of the Maratha community, particularly regarding immediate reservation implementation, educational policies, and government job opportunities. The resolution of the hunger strike signals a potential step forward in addressing the longstanding demands of the Maratha community in Maharashtra.