Several videos from the ongoing Maratha reservation protest in Mumbai have gone viral on social media, showing foreign tourists being drawn into the demonstrations and asked to chant the community’s popular slogan, ' Ek Maratha, Lakh Maratha.'
In clips widely shared online, protestors are seen cheerfully engaging with visitors, encouraging them to repeat the slogan. Some tourists, visibly amused and intrigued, not only raised the chant but also joined protestors in dancing to traditional beats. These light-hearted exchanges drew cheers from the crowds and highlighted the sheer scale of the agitation, which has taken over parts of the city in recent days.
The Maratha quota protest, however, carries a grave undertone. Leader Manoj Jarange Patil remains on an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan, pressing for immediate implementation of reservation in education and government jobs. The stir has entered its third day in Mumbai, with thousands of supporters pouring in from across Maharashtra.
Authorities have deployed heavy security and arranged basic facilities such as toilets, water tankers, and medical aid for the swelling crowd. Despite repeated appeals from political leaders to end the fast, Jarange has refused, insisting that the movement will continue until concrete government action is taken. He has also warned that more protestors will be mobilised if the demands are delayed further.
While the viral videos add a lighter, almost festive dimension to the protest, activists stress that the core issue remains the future of Maratha youth. Social media users, meanwhile, have reacted with a mix of amusement and support, noting how the protest has unexpectedly involved outsiders in its slogans and dance.
As the hunger strike continues and demonstrations intensify, the blend of serious demands with viral moments underscores the unique character of this mass mobilisation.
