Mumbai: Activist Manoj Jarange on Tuesday ended his five-day hunger strike at Azad Maidan after the Maharashtra government assured him it would fulfil key demands of the Maratha community, including granting Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas. This move effectively brings them under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, opening access to reservation benefits in education and government jobs.
The 43-year-old activist broke his fast after accepting a glass of fruit juice from senior BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads the state’s cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation. Overcome with emotion, Jarange was seen in tears as thousands of cheering supporters celebrated the announcement. He was later taken to hospital in an ambulance for a medical check-up.
Jarange had earlier insisted that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, be present for the fast-breaking. However, when told that the leaders were away from Mumbai, he agreed to end his strike after Vikhe Patil’s appeal, calling the day historic for Maharashtra.'
The state has assured the community that cases against Maratha quota protesters will be withdrawn, compensation will be given to families of those who lost their lives during the stir, and jobs will be offered to their kin. A three-member committee will also be set up at the village level to examine 58 lakh historical records from the Hyderabad Gazette to determine Kunbi status for Marathas in Marathwada.
While celebrating the breakthrough, Jarange warned the BJP-led government against reneging on its promises. “If there is any attempt to deceive us on implementing the Government Resolution, I will sit outside Vikhe Patil’s home until death,” he declared.
Background of the Protest:
The Maratha reservation movement has been one of Maharashtra’s longest-running social agitations. The Marathas, a dominant agrarian community, have long demanded inclusion under the OBC category to access quotas in jobs and education. In 2018, the state government granted them separate quota status, but the Supreme Court struck it down in 2021, ruling it unconstitutional.
Since then, the community, particularly in Marathwada, has intensified its demand for recognition as Kunbis, an OBC sub-caste, arguing historical records back their claim. Manoj Jarange has emerged as the face of this agitation, leading multiple hunger strikes since 2023. His protests have drawn thousands of supporters and placed significant political pressure on the Maharashtra government.
