Activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Friday launched another indefinite hunger strike in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan to reiterate his demand for reservations in government jobs and education for the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes category.

He accused the Maharashtra government of “non-cooperation” on the matter and vowed not to back down until the demand was met this time, The Hindu reported.

This is the ninth protest held by Jarange-Patil in the past two years.

“I am prepared to sacrifice my life, but this time, we will not leave Mumbai without justice,” The Hindu quoted the activist as saying. “They can shoot me or put me in jail, but I won’t leave Mumbai unless our demands are heard and met.”

He began his march from the state’s Jalna district on Wednesday and arrived at the protest venue in Mumbai at around 9.45 am with thousands of supporters.

The protest comes amid fresh rules notified by the Mumbai Police on Tuesday that bans protests after 6 pm and limits participation to 5,000 persons, The Indian Express noted.

In accordance with the new rules, the protesters have been instructed to vacate Azad Maidan by 6 pm. The police estimate that around 40,000 supporters are expected within the city limits, The Hindu reported.

The protest caused several traffic disruptions in the city, especially on arterial roads leading to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

Will find constitutional solution: CM

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told mediapersons that the government stands firmly behind the Maratha community and is seeking to find a constitutionally valid solution.

“However, some elements are trying to escalate the situation and are trying to provoke conflicts between Marathas and OBCs,” Fadnavis alleged. He said that such individuals should not misuse the agitation for their own selfish interests.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the government has taken all possible measures for the benefit of the Maratha community, and will do so in the future as well. However, he said that conflicts must not be stoked between communities.

“Even the Maratha community itself has not been demanding that they should be given reservation by reducing the share of the OBCs,” Shinde said.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the government must immediately engage in dialogue with the protestors and give them justice.

“The government is only engaging in diversions,” he alleged. “It should stop these diversions and arrive at a respectful solution.”

Quota demand

The Maratha community’s long-standing demand for reservations in education and government jobs resurfaced in 2023 with protests led by Jarange-Patil. The movement witnessed violence, suicides and the resignations of legislators.

On February 20, 2024 Maharashtra’s legislature passed a bill allowing for the creation of a 10% quota in education and government jobs for the Maratha community. This would be in addition to the state’s 52% reservation quota, which includes a 10% quota for the Economically Weaker Section.

On August 1, 2024, justifying its recommendation for the 10% quota for Marathas, the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission told the Bombay High Court that the community had been “pushed to the dark edges of mainstream society”.

The introduction of the 10% quota is similar to the 16% reservation for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes category that was introduced in 2018 by the state’s previous government, comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party and the undivided Shiv Sena.

That decision was blocked by the Supreme Court in 2021, citing the 50% cap on a state’s total reservations that the court had ordered in 1992. The court said that there were no “exceptional circumstances” or “extraordinary situation” in Maharashtra for the state government to breach the limit on reservations.

Jarange-Patil has insisted that reservations for Marathas be given under the Other Backward Classes category, on the grounds that the separate quota exceeds the constitutional ceiling of 50% and would likely be struck down by the judiciary.

Jarange-Patil has also demanded that Kunbi caste certificates be provided to all Marathas. The Kunbis form a sub-caste within the Maratha community. They are included in the Other Backward Classes.

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