MUMBAI: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Tuesday ended his five-day hunger strike after the Maharashtra government agreed to most of his demands, including the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates.
Following a meeting with the cabinet sub-committee headed by minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Jarange accepted the government resolution and urged his supporters at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan to disperse. “We have won,” he declared, after discussions with committee members Shivendrasinh Bhosale, Uday Samant, and Manikrao Kokate.
Earlier in the day, the Mumbai Police, acting on directions from the Bombay High Court, had asked Jarange and his supporters to vacate the protest site.
Jarange confirmed that the government had accepted his demand to implement the Hyderabad Gazette, ensuring Marathas with Kunbi records would receive caste certificates following due inquiry. He read out the draft resolution to his supporters, noting that a Government Resolution (GR) would be issued immediately, while implementation of the Satara Gazette would follow within a month. He further stated that all cases filed against Maratha protesters would be withdrawn by the end of September.
The activist also announced that financial aid and government jobs would be provided within a week to the families of those who lost their lives during the agitation. According to him, Rs 15 crore has already been disbursed, with the remaining assistance to be released shortly.
Government’s Stand
Minister Vikhe Patil acknowledged that the state had received eight lakh objections to the sage soyare (blood relatives) notification and emphasized the need for scrutiny. He added that the government was also examining legal options to issue a GR equating Marathas and Kunbis, a process expected to take up to two months.
Jarange launched his hunger strike on August 29, demanding a 10 percent quota for Marathas in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. His announcement of victory on Tuesday sparked celebrations among Maratha quota supporters gathered at Azad Maidan.
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