Manoj Jarange ends 20-day fast, vows to resume if govt doesn't ‘fulfil promise’

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil ended his 20-day fast, and gave the state government three months to consider his demands, news agency PTI reported.

This comes a day after he said he will resume his journey to Mumbai to stage an agitation on Thursday afternoon. If anyone stopped him on the way, members of the Maratha community should set out for Maharashtra's capital, he said.

Jarange, whose hunger strike for reservation demands entered the 19th day on Wednesday, reached Patoda in the early hours and halted in the town as doctors advised him immediate treatment due to severe dehydration and other health complications.

Speaking to the media, he had said, ''I was not going to listen to anyone, but religious leaders from Narayangad asked me to take medication. But I will leave for Mumbai tomorrow after 1 pm. I will undergo treatment tonight and will leave tomorrow.''

''I will not announce any date for members of the Maratha community to come to Mumbai. A new draft (of proposals) may come from the government in an hour or so. So I will not announce the date now," he said.

"Let me see who stops me from entering Mumbai. If they do not allow me (to enter), I will call the Maratha community people,'' warned the activist who has been demanding Kunbi caste certificates for eligible Marathas so that they can get reservation in the OBC quota.

Govt sends draft proposal

After maintaining a firm stand for nearly a week, the state government softened its position and sent a draft proposal to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Wednesday, the 19th day of his indefinite hunger strike.

The government also appealed to him to call off the strike and cancel his planned march to Mumbai as it could disrupt the Ganesh festivities.

Jarange-Patil, however, had said that he is determined to reach Mumbai on September 18 and lead the protest but is open to dialogue with the government.

What are his demands

“They should revise the government resolution issued to implement the Hyderabad Gazetteer and streamline the issuance of Kunbi certificates. There should be a time-bound assurance for implementing the Satara and Kolhapur gazetteers. Kunbi certificates should be issued on the basis of all 5.8 million records related to Kunbi lineage collected by the government."

"The government should also ensure that caste validity committees clear all the certificates issued by the government,” he said, insisting that the assurances come from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.